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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BUREAU OF EDUCATION 



BULLETIN, 1921, No. 28 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF 
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA 



A REPORT OF A SURVEY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
OF THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OF WHEEL- 
ING, WEST VIRGINIA, MADE AT THE REQUEST OF THE 
BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS, UNDER THE 
DIRECTION OF THE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER 
OF EDUCATION 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1921 



m 



DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

« : BUREAU OF EDUCATION 



BULLETIN, 1921, No. 28 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF 
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA 



A REPORT OF A SURVEY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
OF THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OF WHEEL- 
ING, WEST VIRGINIA, MADE AT THE REQUEST OF THE 
BOARD OF SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS, UNDER THE 
DIRECTION OF THE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER 
OF EDUCATION 




WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1921 



^ 






ADDITIONAL COPIES 

OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

AT 

10 CENTS PER COPY 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
RECEIVED 

JAN161922 

DOCUMENTS DIVISION 



1 

s 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Letter of Dr. P. P. Claxton to the president of the Wheeling board of education. 5 

Members of the survey commission 6 

Introduction 7 

I . Organization and administration of the school system 9 

II. The legislative program 12 

III. Finances and accounting 20 

IV. School buildings and grounds 30 

V. The building program 37 

VI. The high schools 42 

VII. The elementary schools 44 

VIII. Physical education, health supervision, and health teaching 46 

IX. Home economics 48 

X. Manual training and vocational education 49 

XI. Art education 51 

XII. Tangible results of the survey 53 

3 



LETTER OF DR. P. P. CLAXTON TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
WHEELING BOARD OF EDUCATION. 



Hon. Paul O. Reymann, 

President, Board oj Education, Wheeling, W. Va. 

My Dear Mr. Reymann: In accordance with the arrangement 
entered into with the Wheeling Board of Education, I have caused a 
careful study to be made of the public school system of your city, and 
have received preliminary reports from the members of the survey 
commission designated to do the field work. 

As requested by you, I have had prepared a brief digest, or sum- 
mary of the principal conclusions and recommendations, in order 
that thetee may be distributed in printed form to the members of your 
board and to others interested. 

Accompanying this summary, I am sending also partial reports, or 
sections of the report, which present a portion of the supporting evi- 
dence and the argument for certain of the recommendations. I am 
making an effort to get as much as possible of the report into your 
hands in time for appropriate action in the emergency caused by the 
early termination of the recess taken by the West Virginia State 
Legislature. 

I believe you have in the material presented herewith sufficient 
data to enable you to formulate your petition to the legislature. The 
remainder of the report I hope to place in your hands within the next 
two or three weeks. 

Permit me to thank you and, through you, all the members of the 
board and the teaching staff for the hearty cooperation which all 
concerned have manifested toward the work of the survey, and to 
express the hope that the final result will be found in improved edu- 
cational opportunities for the children and youth, as well as the 
maturer citizens of Wheeling, and increased utilization of these 
opportunities by all. 

Very truly, yours, 

P. P. Claxton, 

Commissioner. 
Washington, March 10, 1921. 

5 



MEMBERS OF THE SURVEY COMMISSION. 



The members of the commission appointed by the Commissioner 
of Education to make the survey of the public schools of Wheel- 
ing, and to report to him their findings and recommendations, are 

as follows: 

From the Bureau of Education. 

Dr. William T. Bawden, assistant to the commissioner, director of the survey. 
Mrs. Henrietta W. Calvin, specialist in home economics. 
Miss Nina C. Vandewalker, specialist in kindergarten and primary education. 
Miss Florence C. Fox, specialist in educational systems. 

Mrs. Alice Barrows Fernandez, specialist in industrial and economic relations in 
education. 
Miss Julia B. Tappan, assistant in school hygiene. 

From Outside the Bureau of Education. 

Dr. J. Franklin Bobbitt, professor of educational administration, University of 
Chicago, Chicago, 111. 

Mr. Ralph Bowman, specialist in school finance and accounting, United States 
Bureau of Efficiency, Washington, D. C. 

Dr. Willard S. Small, director of educational research and development, Interde- 
partmental Social Hygiene Board, Washington, D. C. 

Dr. Chester A. Buckner, professor of secondary education, University of Pittsburgh, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. 

Dr. Thomas Alexander, professor of elementary education, Peabody College for 
Teachers, Nashville, Tenn. 

Dr. Fletcher B. Dresslar, specialist in school architecture, buildings, and grounds, 
Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tenn. 

Mr. Walter H. Klar, director art department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 
Pa. 

Mr. Lynton F. Garrett, principal of the Training School, State Normal School, San 
Marcos, Tex. 
6 



INTRODUCTION. 



On December 17, 1920, the president of the board of school com- 
missioners inquired concerning the possibility of having a survey of 
the public schools made under the direction of the United States 
Commissioner of Education. The conditions named were met by 
the board at a special meeting held on December 30, and an appro- 
priation of $5,000 was made to cover the necessary expenses of the 
survey. The members of the survey commission, as indicated on 
the preceding page, were appointed by the Commissioner of Educa- 
tion, and the field work began on Monday, January 17. 

The field work was completed on March 10; most of the work was 
done during February. The aggregate number of days devoted to 
field work was approximately 200. 

On Thursday evening, March 10, the director of the survey made 
a report of the conclusions and recommendations at a special meeting 
of the board of school commissioners, and a digest of the report was 
given to the press for release on the morning of the 12th. On Friday 
evening the report was made public at a meeting of representatives 
of the board, various civic organizations, and the press through the 
distribution of a printed pamphlet of 53 pages. 



THE SURVEY BUDGET. 

The principal items of expenditure in connection with the survey 
may be summarized as follows : 

Transportation and subsistence of members of the commission $1, 796. 91 

Honoraria of members of the commission not connected with the United 

States Bureau of Education 1, 850. 00 

Materials used in educational tests 47. 09 

Clerical assistance 399. 92 

Printing preliminary report 348. 00 

Supplies, telephone, telegraph = 80. 52 

Total, to April 5, 1921 4, 522. 44 

7 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, WEST 

VIRGINIA. 



I. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE SCHOOL 

SYSTEM. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

The independent school district of Wheeling was established by act of the Virginia 
Legislature, in Richmond, February 23, 1849. It was then, and has since been 
maintained, entirely independent of all other school corporations, general school 
legislation, and even of the municipal corporation of Wheeling — notwithstanding, at 
present, more than two-thirds of the area of Wheeling lies outside the independent 
school district. 

Originally the board of school commissioners consisted of five members. Subsequent 
legislation to all intents and purposes divided the independent school district into 
seven relatively autonomous subdistricts, and provided for the present board of 21 
members. In certain important respects this board functions as seven relatively 
independent local boards, and exercises executive control over such technical matters 
as appointment of teachers, administration of the school buildings, and the like. 

A good type of personnel appears to have been attracted to the office; and the sub- 
districts have acquired a tradition of selecting high-minded men for their school 
commissioners. Certainly the present board is of this type. Some of the board's 
methods and actions must be criticized ; but the errors to be pointed out are errors of 
judgment and not of character or effort. 

Minutes of the board show that the superintendent of schools is not consulted nor 
asked to nominate teachers; until recently the principals were not consulted on 
appointments; nothing more clearly shows the primitive character of educational 
administration in Wheeling. 

LACK OF COMMUNITY INTEREST AND SUPPORT A SERIOUS HANDICAP. 

The community generally has been indifferent toward public school matters; 
active public cooperation and moral support have been largely lacking. Inactive 
members of the community who have made no effort to promote good schools have 
scarcely earned a right to criticize. 

MANY COMMENDABLE FEATURES IN SPITE OF UNFAVORABLE 

CONDITIONS. 

In spite of unfavorable conditions, including lack of vigorous community support, 
unwieldy size of board, inefficient scheme of organization, and the like, numerous 
commendable features have been introduced by the board. Some of these are: 

(1) Medical inspection or health service. 

(2) Numerous special supervisors and special teachers. 

(3) Free textbooks. 

(4) Development of the public library. 

65670°— 21 2 9 



10 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

(5) Recent large increases in salaries. 

(6) Recent expansion of the budget. 

(7) Setting standard qualifications for high-school teachers. 

(8) An unusually extensive series of courses for vocational, industrial, commercial, 
and home -making training. 

(9) Recent attempts to extend the benefits of physical training. 

(10) The tendency to defray the expenses of members of the supervisory corps in 
attendance at professional meetings. 

(11) Provision of visiting days for teachers. 

(12) A not ungenerous sick-leave allowance. 

(13) Provision of a "coach" teacher for each building (although the plan is not 
administered effectively). 

(14) An unusually good system of providing substitute teachers (incomplete, but 
excellent so far as it goes). 

(15) Numerous sets of supplementary readers, and a system for circulating them 
(in serious need of attention, but a highly commendable start). 

(16) A teachers' pension system. 

(17) Evening schools. 

(18) Americanization classes. 

DIFFICULTIES OF ADMINISTRATION THROUGH COMMITTEES. 

The board has an unusually large number of standing committees — ten— -each of 
which performs important functions properly belonging to the board itself. Four 
of these committees are each as large as the entire school board of New York City; 
and the smaller committees are each the size of the entire school board in Albany or 
Troy. 

Adding these 10 functional boards to the seven local or subdistrict boards, and the 
composite board in which they all belong, one may realize something of the complexity 
of the organization and the possibilities for scattering responsibility. 

For example, the committee on buildings and grounds acts chiefly as individuals, 
ordering repairs, painting, etc., without consultation, and without previous action by 
the board. The committee meets, confirms the acts of individual members, and then 
requests confirmation by the board. From the way in which reports are presented, 
the board can have no real knowledge of what is done; confirmation is practically in- 
variable, and without debate. 

In view of the amount of work to be done, members' of the committee can not give 
the amount of time necessary to know all the details and needs of all the buildings. 
Each member knows many things about "his " building, it is true, but there is nothing 
approaching that specialized understanding of buildings, grounds, and equipment in 
relation to education that is needed for the efficient and economical administration 
of a modern school system. Further, they themselves sit among the judges of their 
own acts. 

Evidence of a certain degree of irresponsibility is found in the use of business prac- 
tices universally condemned, and generally forbidden by law; such as entering into 
contractual business relations with individual members of the board, and executive 
action by individual board members prior to directing action by the board. 

The results of this system of lay administration may be seen in the actual building 
.situation in Wheeling. Even old buildings can be made pleasant, light, airy, sani- 
tary, and reasonably safe: but this has not been done. There is little evidence of 
careful planning, standardized procedure, settled policies, a forward-looking build- 
ing program. 

The board's task is not to do the work, but to get it done; first, by directing, and 
then by inspecting, so as to be sure the work is efficient and economical. 

The committee on buildings and grounds is active and conscientious, and appears 
to give an unusually large amount of time and attention to executive labors. It is 
not a question of honesty, or integrity, but of incorrect organization and procedure 
for securing results. 



SCHOOL ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION. 11 

IMPOSSIBLE FOR LAYMEN EFFECTIVELY TO EXAMINE AND SELECT 

TEACHERS. 

The activities of the committee on teachers and schools afford other examples of 
the difficulties involved in the attempt to perform expert executive functions through 
committees or individual members of the board. Without professional training and 
extended experience, it is not possible to judge efficiently the relative merits of can- 
didates for principalship and teaching positions. In actual practice, the scheme has 
worked badly, omitting entirely any provision for rating the efficiency of principals 
and teachers, and means for eliminating the inefficient; another serious omission is 
that of a rule requiring consultation with superintendent and principals in choosing 
teachers. No provision has been made for recognizing superior merit or professional 
advancement by increases in salary or otherwise. 

The alternative plan is to leave executive labors to professional executives. The 
superintendent alone, in consultation with principals and supervisors, can know how 
many teachers are needed, and the special abilities needed for each type of position. 
This plan places responsibility where it belongs; relieves the board of unnecessary 
labors', gives the superintendent authority over his teachers, which he can not have 
so long as they owe their positions to others; permits the board to hold the superin- 
tendent responsible for results — a thing impossible now. 

WORK OF OTHER COMMITTEES DISCUSSED. 

The report discusses in detail the activities of all the standing committees of the 
board, and shows clearly what functions properly belong to the board and what duties 
should be performed by executive officers under the direction of the board. It is 
impossible in this brief digest to devote space to each. 

LACK OF AN EXECUTIVE HEAD A SERIOUS DEFECT. 

To summarize the situation, perhaps rather bluntly, the fundamental weakness in 
the public school system in Wheeling has been executive management by laymen. 
There are many analogies between the management of a school system by a board of 
education and the management of a business or a factory by a board of directors; but 
the fundamental principles of organization and management generally accepted in 
business and industry, and in progressive school systems, have not been operative 
in the Wheeling schools. 

The board of directors of a business or manufacturing corporation does not mix in 
the details of the work. It employs a chief executive, outlines its policies to him, 
makes clear to him the results to be secured, gives him control over the means to be 
employed, and then demands that he get results. They then employ various methods 
of accounting, auditing, and otherwise checking up the results. 

In the Wheeling schools, however, the executive work of the board is mainly per- 
formed by committees, or even by individual members, who buy and sell, employ 
and discharge, enter into and abrogate contracts, direct employees, and attend to 
countless details usually left to executives and their subordinates. In the sense in 
which the term is used in the business world, the board has no chief executive, and 
there is little evidence in the plan of organization to show any realization of the need 
of one. 

Let the business man on the board imagine what would happen to his bank, or 
store, or factory, if it were managed by a committee of outsiders who dipped into the 
business for, say, two hours each week. The conduct of a big school system is a more 
complex, difficult, and technical job than merchandising or banking. 

What is needed is the adoption of a plan by which the board will get things done in 
responsible ways, and enforce responsibility, without doing the things themselves. 



12 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

The board should occupy itself mainly with directorial and inspectorial functions, 
leaving detailed executive labors to their specialized and experienced executive 
officials — the superintendent of schools and his subordinates. 

FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS IN WHEELING. 

Briefly stated, some of the things which need to be done are: 

(1) Eliminate the subdistricts, except for attendance purposes. 

(2) Eliminate the local commissionerships, and have board members elected at 
large. 

(3) Provide a small board of men and women who will be beyond the reach of local, 
petty, personal, and political influences. 

(4) The board should delegate responsibility and authority to its chief executive, 
provide the necessary means, demand results, and then stand aside and let the super- 
intendent and his organization get results. 

(5) The board should adopt impersonal ways of checking up results, efficiency, 
and economy. 

(6) The board should take the community into its confidence fully, at all times, 
and keep the public informed as to policies, needs, and results. 

NEW LEGISLATION ESSENTIAL. 

The laws governing the independent school district of Wheeling are in a confused, 
fragmentary, and archaic condition. The complete charter legislation which governs 
the district is not in the possession of the board , nor an> of its officers, nor of the public 
library which is under the control of the board. 

The school laws applicable to Wheeling should be completely rewritten on the basis 
of the best modern practice. The report contains detailed suggestions concerning those 
matters which should be included in State legislatures, and also those which should be 
cared for by rules and regulations or other local legislation by the board. 



II. THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM. 



There is a commendable tendency in progressi ve States to eliminate special charter 
legislation for independent city school districts. When the State drafts a good general 
law for the purpose, it saves a city a good deal of special maneuvering simply to come 
in under it. 

If Wheeling does not choose to follow this course, it is recommended that, in rewrit- 
ing the charter, the general State legislation be accepted so far as it is suited to condi- 
tions in Wheeling, and that special legislation be sought only in so far as the general 
legislation is not suitable. 

NECESSARY DISTINCTION BETWEEN STATE LEGISLATION AND THE 
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE BOARD. 

Only the more general and fundamental things should be accomplished by State 
legislation. Matters of detail should be left to the by-laws, rules and regulations, and 
other legislation by the board. 

In the following summary of the things to be taken care of in the proposed reorganiza- 
tion of the affairs of the independent school district of Wheeling, those matters which 
are usually best taken care of by State legislation are designated by the letter (S); and 
those which are best included under the rules and regulations or other legislation of the 
board are designated by the letter (R) 



THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM. 13 

SUMMARY OF POINTS TO BE COVERED. 

(1) The subdistrict divisions should be abolished, except for attendance pur- 
poses. (S) 

(2) There should be a school board of five members, elected at large, one member- 
being elected each year, for a term of five years. (If elections must be biennial, then 
the term should be six years, one-third of the board, as nearly as may be, being elected 
at each election.) (S) 

(3) It is desirable, though not so essential, that members be nominated by petition 
and elected on nonpartisan ballot, at special school elections, held in the school build- 
ings, and directed by the board of education. (S) 

(4) Board members should be citizens of the United States, and residents of the city 
for at least three years immediately preceding election. (S) 

(5) No salary or other remuneration should be paid to board members. This does 
not preclude the payment of traveling and other necessary expenses involved in the 
conduct of the board's business. (S) 

(6) When a vacancy occurs other than by expiration of term of office, it should be 
filled by the mayor (subject to confirmation by the council) until the next school 
election, when it should be filled by election for the unexpired portion of the term. (S) 

(7) A specific day and hour should be fixed for the first meeting of the board subse- 
quent to the annual election, at which time the board is organized for the year. (S) 

(8) A specific day and hour should be fixed for the regular monthly board meetings, 
and a method prescribed for calling special meetings. (R) 

(9) The board should have no standing committees except the committee of the 
whole. (R) 

(10) When tasks arise demanding committee work, the board should appoint tem- 
porary special committees. (R) 

(11) The superintendent of education should be made the chief executive of the 
board of education in its administration of all aspects of the school system. (S) 

(12) The board should appoint the superintendent for a relatively long term of three 
or four years, subject to removal only for cause by a four-fifths vote of the board. (S) 

(13) In Wheeling the board should create (if not already created) and provide for 
the following positions subordinate to the chief executive: (1) Business assistant (who 
also should be clerk of the board) ; (2) manager of properties (or director of buildings 
and grounds), subordinate to the business assistant; (3) director of census and attend- 
ance; (4) director of health (including both medical inspection and physical educa- 
tion), (5) primary supervisor. Beyond these, the present provision of special super- 
visors, principals, teachers, nurses, etc., appears to be good. (R) (By-laws.) 

(14) Outside of the major executive organization the board should provide for and 
appoint for only part-time or occasional duties an attorney, a treasurer, and an auditor. 
(R) (By-laws.) 

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD. 

(15) The board should possess corporate powers: The power to acquire, hold, lease, 
and sell real and personal property; to receive bequests and donations; to sue and be 
sued; to condemn property needed for educational purposes; and to perform other 
corporate acts required for the management and control of the schools and other 
agencies committed to its care. (S) 

(16) The powers and duties of the board of education should be: 

(a) To determine all questions of general policy to be employed in the conduct of 
education. (S) 

(/>) To create, abolish, modify, and maintain such positions, schools, divisions, 
classifications, etc., as may be necessary for the efficient administration of the 
work. (S) 



14 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

(c) To have the care, custody, title, control, and safekeeping of all school property 
or other property of the city used for educational, social, or recreational activities 
and not specifically placed by law under the control of some other body or officer, 
and to prescribe rules and regulations for the use and preservation of such prop- 
erty. (S) 

(d) To purchase new school sites or additions to sites, and to order new buildings 
or additions to buildings erected, as the needs of the schools and other educational, 
social, and recreational agencies under their control may necessitate; and to approve 
all contracts entered into. (S) 

(e) To rent or lease property required for the use of schools or other agencies main- 
tained and directed by the board. (S) 

(/) To establish and maintain such free elementary schools, intermediate schools, 
high schools, kindergartens, vocational and industrial schools, technical schools, night 
schools, part-time or continuation schools and classes, vacation schools, open-air 
schools, schools for adults, schools for delinquents, schools for mentally and physically 
defective children, or such other schools or classes as the board shall deem necessary 
to meet the needs and demands of the city. (S) 

(g) To establish and maintain libraries and museums which may be open to the 
public, to organize and maintain public lecture courses, and to establish, equip, and 
maintain play grounds, recreation centers, social centers, and reading rooms. (S) 

(h) To authorize the formulation of the annual budget of expenditures for the 
schools, public library, and other agencies maintained by the board, and to pass upon 
and adopt such budget as the work appears to necessitate. (S) 

(i) To fix the annual tax levy for education. (S) 

(j) To fix the salaries of all officers and employees. (S) 

(k) To approve all expenditures made. (S) 

(I) To approve all contracts entered into. (S) 

(m) To authorize the formulation of the by-laws, rules, and regulations needed for 
the direction and management of the schools and other agencies and activities under 
the board, and to approve such by-laws, rules, and regulations before they become 
operative. (S) 

(n) To authorize the courses of study which shall be given in the schools or by other 
educational agencies directed and maintained by the board, and to approve the con- 
tent of such courses before they become operative. (S) 

(o) To authorize the selection and determination of such books, maps, globes, 
apparatus, furniture, tools, and other equipment ana supplies as may be necessary 
for the proper and efficient management of the schools and other educational, social, 
and recreational agencies and activities under its management and control, and to 
approve such selections and determinations before purchases are made. (S) 

(p) To authorize the purchase and provision of such books, maps, globes, appara- 
tus, furniture, tools, and other equipment and supplies as may be necessary for the 
proper and efficient management of the schools and other educational, social, and recre- 
ational agencies and activities under its management and control, and to approve 
prices and other conditions of purchase, before such purchases are made. (S) 

(q) To select and employ a superintendent of education, who shall be the chief 
executive of the board. (S) 

(r) To authorize the determination of the number and qualifications of employees 
to be provided for the work of the several schools and agencies, and to approve such 
determinations before employees are selected. (S) 

(s) To authorize the establishment of an efficient system of certification of teachers, 
and the preparation of eligible lists. (S) 

(t) To require the superintendent to nominate all assistants, directors, and super- 
visors of special departments, principals, teachers, physicians, nurses, janitors, and 
other officers and employees in the organization under his charge; the board to pass 
upon and approve all nominations before appointments are made, and to make all 
appointments and approve all contracts. (S) 

(u) To authorize the determination of plans for attendance, census, classification, 
grading, promotion, transfers, graduation from schools and courses, and other matters 
involved in the management and control of the pupils and students, and to approve 
all such plans before they become operative. (S) 

(v) To authorize the determination of plans for testing, recording and reporting the 
degrees of proficiency attained by the pupils in the several classes, grades, and schools; 
approve such plans before they are put into operation; and to provide the means 
necessary for making the plans operative. (S) 

(w) To authorize the preparation and publication periodically of reports to the 
community which set forth in a clear and intelligible manner the character of the 
efforts, degrees of achievement, working conditions, finance, and further needs of the 



THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM. J 15 

schools and other agencies maintained and directed by the board; to approve such 
reports before they are published ; and to direct their publication and distribution. (S) 

(x) To require their officials to make such reports of the educational and other 
activities under their charge as may be legitimately requested by county, State, or 
national authority. (S) 

(y) To perform any duty imposed upon boards of education by the laws or admin- 
istrative regulations of the State so far as they may be applicable to the schools or other 
educational agencies and affairs of the district and not inconsistent with other legis- 
lation affecting the district. (S) 

(z) To prescribe such by-laws, rules, and regulations as may be necessary to make 
the State legislation effective, and for the conduct of the proceedings of the board, and 
for transacting all the affairs of the board that relate to the management, operation, 
control, maintenance, and discipline of the schools, public library, and all other edu- 
cational, social, and recreational agencies and activities under its charge or direction. 

( s ) 

(aa) To perform such other duties and to possess such other powers as may be re- 
quired to administer the affairs placed under its control and management, to "execute 
all powers vested in it, and to promote the best interests of the schools and other 
agencies and activities committed to its care. (S) 

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. 

(17) The superintendent of schools should possess the following powers and be 
charged with the following duties: 

(a) To serve as the chief executive officer of the board in its conduct of the schools 
and of other agencies and activities committed to its care. (S) 

(b) To attend all regular and special meetings of the board, and to cooperate and 
advise with all committees of the board. (S) 

(c) To exercise the right to speak on all matters before the board , but not to vote. (S) 

(d) To enforce all provisions of law and all rules and regulations relating to the 
management of the schools and other educational, social, and recreational agencies 
and activities under the direction of the board of education. (S) 

(*) To prepare and submit to the board for approval by-laws, rules, and regulations 
needed for the direction and control of the schools and other agencies and activities 
under the charge of the board. (S) 

(/) To prepare, in conference and cooperation with the directors and supervisors of 
special departments, principals, teachers, librarians, and other competent members 
of the organization, the content of each course of study authorized by the board of 
education. (S) 

((f) To select, in conference and cooperation with the directors and supervisors of 
special departments, principals, teachers, librarians, physicians and nurses the text- 
books and other books, apparatus, maps, charts, tools, equipment, and all other sup- 
plies and appliances needed for the activities of the schools and other agencies under 
the care of the board. (S) 

(h) To determine the boundaries of school attendance subdistricts, subject to the 
approval of the board. (S) 

(i) To investigate the need of and recommend to the board provision for school 
facilities in the several subdistricts. (S) 

(j) To have charge of the operation and maintenance of the buildings and equip- 
ment of the schools and other agencies under the board, the maintenance of grounds, 
and the purchase, storage, and distribution of books, maps, charts, apparatus, tools, 
and all other equipment, materials, and supplies. (S) 

(h) To have charge of the system of certification of all teachers and other employees, 
except as otherwise provided for by law, and to prepare, as occasion demands, eligible 
lists for all types of positions. (S) 

(I) To nominate as needed the assistants, directors and supervisors of special de- 
partments, principals, teachers, physicians, nurses, librarians, janitors, clerks, stenog- 
raphers, and other employees, authorized by the board. CS) 

(m) To recommend, subject to the approval of the board, the salary to be paid each 
official or employee of the board. (S) 

(n) To have supervision and direction of assistants directors, and supervisors of 
special departments, principals, teachers, librarians, physicians, nurses, attendance 
officers, janitors, and other persons employed in the conduct of the schools and other 
agencies under the board . (S) 

(o) To assign principals, nurses, janitors, librarians, and other employees to the 
schools or other place where their work is to be done ; to transfer them from one school 



16 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

or other place of work to another; and to report immediately such transfers to the 
board for consideration and action. (S) 

(p) To assign teachers to schools, grades, classes, and courses according to the 
needs of the service ; to transfer teachers from one school to another, from one grade 
to another, from one class to another, according to the needs of the service ; and to 
report immediately such assignments and transfers to the board for its consideration 
and action. (S) 

(q) To report to the board violations of regulations and cases of insubordination; 
and in cases sufficiently grave to warrant it, suspend any official or employee under 
the direction of the superintendent until the next regular meeting of the board when 
all the facts relating to the case shall be submitted to the board for its consideration 
and action. (S) 

(r) To recommend for discharge or retirement any employee under his direction 
whose influenca or services are so unsatisfactory as to warrant such action, subject to 
the approval of the board. (S) 

(s) To prepare, in conference with the business assistant and others in possession of 
the necessary facts, an annual budget, showing in detail the appropriations necessary 
to meet the estimated needs of the ensuing school year, and submit the same to the 
board for consideration and action . (S) 

(7.) To recommend to the board transfers from one budgetary appropriation to 
another as conditions may require. (S) 

(u) To have power, within the limits of the detailed budget approved by the 
board, to approve and direct all purchases and expenditures, making report to the 
board at each monthly meeting, and at any other time when the board may request 
it; to report proposed detailed expenditures prior to action, whenever the board may 
request the same, for its consideration and action. (S) 

(v) To have supervision and direction over all activities involved in the census, 
the enforcement of the attendance laws, the classification, grading, promotion, disci- 
pline, and the organization and management in general of the pupils and students. 

(w) To have supervision and direction over courses of study, methods of educa- 
tional procedure, the working conditions of pupils and teachers, standards of achieve- 
ment, the supervisory labors of special supervisors, principals, and departmental 
heads, the training of teachers in service, the measurement of educational achieve- 
ments, and every other professional factor, agency, or activity involved in the effi- 
cient conduct of education. (S) 

(x) To make decisions in the case of controversies or conflicts arising in the ad- 
ministrative organization of which he is the head, subject to appeal to the board. (S) 

(y) To decide all matters of detail purely ministerial and administrative in the 
application of laws, by-laws, rules, and regulations to the concrete situations that are 
met with; and to decide any matters that may arise concerning which no specific 
provision is made in the legislation, reporting his decisions at the next regular meeting 
of the board following such decisions. (S) 

THE BUSINESS ASSISTANT AND CLERK OF THE BOARD. 

(18) The business assistant to the superintendent and clerk of the board, before 
entering upon the duties of his office, should execute a bond in such sum as directed 
by the board, conditioned upon the faithful discharge of his official duties, and delivery 
to his successor of all district property pertaining to his office or in his custody. 

(19) The business assistant, under the supervision and direction of the superin- 
tendent, should perform the following duties: 

(a) Act as purchasing agent, receive, store, and distribute the books, supplies, 
apparatus, and other materials and appliances authorized by the board. (R) 

(b) Represent the board in negotiations relating to the construction, repair, and 
maintenance of school property. (R) 

(c) Recommend to the board through the superintendent such assistants, clerks, 
janitors, engineers, foremen, and mechanics as shall be needed for continuous employ 
in the department under his charge ; and have authority td employ for brief periods 
such workmen as are necessary for the execution of the labors of his department, 
and to discharge the same. (R) 

(d) Supervise all matters of repair, and have general charge of all buildings under 
the charge of the board. (R) 

(e) Make and keep accurate and reliable real and personal property records which 
shall show the cost, time of purchase or acquisition, present value, and location of 
the property. (R) 



THE LEGISLATIVE PKOGKAM. 17 

(/) Cause the property of the board to be insured in such amounts as the board 
may from time to time direct, and keep a record of insurance placed on school prop- 
erty. (R) 

(<7)_ Make to the board through the superintendent written monthly report of the 
condition of the buildings and other property of the board, as to repairs, construction, 
and improvements, including such requests of principals as require action of the 
board, with recommendations thereon. (R) 

(h) Draw up or examine all contracts and other engagements in which the board 
is a party. (R) 

(i) Receive tuition fees, fines, money from the sale of books, shop construction, and 
other school property and sei vices, from other buildings, and from other sources, 
except such as are paid to the treasurer of the board according to law, and deposit all 
moneys collected by him with the district treasurer at least once each month. (R"i 

(j) Audit all claims, approve all bills, and submit the same to the auditor of the 
board for audit and approval. (R) 

(Jc) Audit all cash collections made by the agents of the board, and determine the 
kind of form of reports to be required of such collecting agents. (R) 

(I) Keep the revenue and expense accounts, asset and liability accounts, budget 
allowance ledger, registers of purchase orders, vouchers and warrants, expenditure 
distribution record by schools, pay-roll records, registers of leases; rents, bonds, and 
building construction, and other contracts. (R) 

(m) Draw all warrants in payments of claims against the board. (R) 

(n) Submit to the board a monthly report of receipts, disbursements, and budget 
balances, and an annual report at the close of the fiscal year. (R) 

(o) Act as custodian of all contracts, securities, documents, title papers, books of 
record, and other papers belonging to the board. (R) 

(p) Have supervision and direction over the director of properties, janitors, and 
other continuous or temporary employees of the department under his charge. (R) 

(q) Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the superintendent under the 
authorization of the board. (R) 

(20) The business assistant, in his capacity of clerk of the board, should perform 
the following duties: 

(a) Perform the usual functions of secretary to the board. (R) 

(b) Keep the minutes of the meetings of the board, and a calendar of all matters 
referred to committees and others, and report action or nonaction on the same at each 
regular meeting. (R) 

(c) Send written notices to board members of both special and regular meetings of 
the board, with calendar of all matters to be brought before the meeting so far as these 
are known at time of sending the notice. (R) 

(d) Receive and reply to all communications to the board according to the directions 
of the board. (R) 

(e) Perform such duties as are prescribed by law or by the by-laws of the board in 
connection with school elections of every kind. (R) 

The legislation above suggested will provide for good organization and procedure 
upon the administrative level of the management. It is not possible here to enter 
into a full enumeration of all the laws, by-laws, rules, and regulations that should be 
enacted for the governance of the schools. The things to be provided for are very 
numerous and can be ascertained by an examination of the complete school code of 
West Virginia, or other States, together with an examination of manuals of rules and 
regulations of careful school boards. 

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD. 

One way of estimating the efficiency of the board is to note the regularity with which 
the members attend the meetings. For this purpose an examination was made of the 
minutes of the board, and the attendance noted during the three years from January 
1, 1918, to December 31, 1920. 

During this period, the board held 37 regular meetings, 9 special meetings, 1 ad- 
journed meeting, and 7 meetings at which there was no quorum; total, 54 meetings. 

Sixteen members have been connected with the board for the entire three years; 
of these, 1 member attended all of the 54 meetings; 1 attended 53, and 1 attended 51; 
65670°— 21 3 



18 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 



only 9 others attended more than 22 meetings. One member has attended but one 
meeting of the board in three years. 

In 1918, when 16 meetings were held, 7 members attended only 8 meetings or less; 
in 1919, when 21 meetings were held, 8 members attended only 10 meetings or less; 
in 1920, when 17 meetings were held, 8 members attended only 8 meetings or less. 

The following table shows the number of meetings held during the three years, and 
the number of members present at each: 

Table 1. — Attendance of members at meetings of the board of education. 



Number of members present. 


Number of meetings. 


Three 
years' 
total. 


Aggre- 


1918 


1919 


1920 


gate at- 
tendance. 


18 


1 






1 
3 

4 
9 
8 
9 
8 
5 
2 
4 


18 


17 


3 
1 
3 
2 
3 
3 
2 
2 
1 




51 


16 


1 

2 
3 

2 
3 

2 


2 

4 
3 
4 
2 
1 


64 


15 


135 


14 


112 


13 


117 


12 


96 


11 


55 


10 


20 


9 


2 


1 


36 


8 




7 




1 




1 


7 










Total 


16 
61.9 


21 
61.9 


17 

64.4 


54 
62.7 


771 


Per cent of attendance 









Of the 54 meetings held during the three years, 7 had fewer than 11 members present, 
or a quorum; at only 8 meetings were there more than 15 members present; only 1 
meeting was attended by as many as 18 members. The per cent of attendance of 
members for the 3-year period was 62.7. In this connection, it may be noted that the 
board requires 75 per cent performance from the children in the schools as a condition 
of promotion. 

SCHOOL CENSUS. 

A school census is taken annually in Wheeling, but it does not appear that the 
board makes any special use of the data thus secured, for no analysis has been made of 
the figures. Further, the work of enumeration is very carelessly done, and the reports 
are quite unreliable. 

For example, an analysis of the 1920 school census figures was made by the survey 
staff, in order to ascertain how many children were reported of each age. A compari- 
son of these figures with the figures for enrollment in nine public elementary schools 
and six parochial schools shows that there are enrolled in these schools 949 more 
children under 14 years of age than are accounted for in the census reports. Again, 
an analysis of the 1915 census enumeration was made, for comparison with correspond- 
ing figures of five years later. The total number of white children reported was 
10,315; of these, the ages are not grven in 2,182 cases, or more than 20 per cent of all. 
Of 238 colored children, the ages are not reported in 118 cases, or nearly 50 per cent 
of all. 

Such reports are practically valueless, and payment for them is a waste of public 
money. 



THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM. 



19 



Table 2. — Comparison of school census with school enrollment, 1920 — Number of 

children reported of each age. 





Census 
enumer- 
ation, 
May, 
1920. 


Enrolled in — 


Not in 
elemen- 
tary 
schools. 




Age in years. 


9 public 
elemen- 
tary 
schools, 
Septem- 
ber, 1920. 


6 parochi- 
al schools 
Septem- 
ber, 1920. 


Excess. 


Under 6 


3 
7 
248 
383 
339 
322 
288 
326 
407 
339 
320 
320 
285 
322 
341 
332 
318 
344 
296 
337 
258 
354 
303 
294 
294 
336 
• 319 
327 
233 
254 
340 
450 
26 


114 

259 

228 

249 

239 

245 

228 

259 

235 

270 

251 

272 

262 

295 

249 

245 

263 

203 

102 

67 

37 

9 

11 

1 

1 


26 

87 

61 

124 

99 

128 

100 

110 

104 

89 

88 

147 

46 

126 

74 

108 

72 

59 

39 

24 

16 

7 

7 




137 


6 to 6.5 




339 


6.5 to 7 




41 


7 to 7.5 


10 
1 




7.5 to 8 




8 to 8.5 


51 


8.5 to 9 




40 


9 to 9.5 




43 


9.5 to 10 


68 




10 to 10.5 


20 


10.5 to 11 




19 


11 to 11.5 




99 


11.5 to 12 




23 


12 to 12.5 




99 


12.5 to 13 '. 


18 




13 to 13.5 


21 


13.5 to 14 




17 


14 to 14.5 


82 
155 
246 
205 
338 
285 
293 
293 
336 
319 
327 
233 
254 
340 
450 

26 




14.5 to 15 








15.5 to 16 




16 to 16.5 - 




16.5 to 17 




17 to 17.5 




17.5 to 18 






18 to 18.5 






18.5 to 19 








19 to 19.5 






19.5 to 20 






20 to 20.5 






20.5 to 21 






Over 21 






Not reported 














Total 


9,665 


4,594 


1,741 


4,279 
949 


949 








3,330 





School census figures should be checked up more carefully to insure accuracy and 
completeness, and then they should be carefully analyzed and studied with a view 
to placing the facts before the board. These facts should include the number of 
children of each age who ought to be in school; where they live; how many are actu- 
ally ^enrolled in public, private, or parochial schools; how many are working at 
gainful employment; other reasons for nonattendance at school. 

Progressive communities are now supplementing the formal census enumeration 
by providing for cumulative record cards, to be made and kept up to date by the 
attendance department. The card contains information concerning residence, names 
and birth places of parents, date of birth of child, sex, nationality, kind and grade of 
school attendance or reason for nonattendance; name and address of employer and 
nature of employment if employed, etc. If such cards are kept up to date by the 
addition of names of children moving into the community the essential facts about 
every child of school age can be available at all times. 

Early in each school term the census reports should be checked against the enroll- 
ment in the public, private, and parochial schools to ascertain what children are out 
of school. The attendance officers can then visit the homes of these children and 
follow them up. Census information, when properly digested and utilized, will thus 
function more completely in the administration of compulsory school attendance, 



20 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 



child labor legislation, and the granting of work permits. It will also prove valuable 
in studying the growth of the community and the shifting of population, and thus 
assist in planning school accommodations for the future. 



III. FINANCES AND ACCOUNTING. 



COMPARISON OF CITY SCHOOL EXPENDITURES WITH THOSE OF CITY 

DEPARTMENTS. 

(a) City government enjoys the advantage of having the various city revenues to 
meet part of city expenses; whereas the schools must levy a tax for almost their entire 
expenditures. Therefore the tax rates of city and schools are not comparable, nor 
are they comparable with tax rates of other cities not organized in like manner. 

(b) Comparison between city departments and schools should be made only on 
basis of expenditures. Of the total amount expended by both city and schools from 
1917-18 to date the schools alone have expended but 35 per cent; schools and library 
together, 36 h per cent. 

(c) School costs in Wheeling have doubled since 1915, but this is true also of schools 
throughout the country. Increase in teachers' salaries and increase in other costs, 
together with additional school activities, are responsible for increase in 1920 school 
tax. 

(d) Other public expenditures in Wheeling have increased in even greater propor- 
tion than the schools. Since 1917 the expense of the city council has increased 224 
per cent; bureau of streets, 144 per cent; bureau of fire, 142 per cent; bureau of 
police, 98 per cent; bond principal and interest, 95 per cent; bureau of health, 57 
per cent; whereas the school expenditures have increased but 55 per cent. (See 
Table 1.) 



FINANCING AND ACCOUNTING. 



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22 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

(e) City of Wheeling includes more taxable property than the independent school 
district; therefore city can raise as much money by a smaller tax rate as the schools 
can by a larger tax rate. 

(f) Comparison between tax rates of 1919 and 1920 show school tax rate to have 
increased 54 per cent, and city tax (based on equal amount of taxable property to 
have increased 50 per cent. 

(g) Conclusion to be drawn from the above is that school tax of 86 cents in 1920 is 
logical and in line with what other cities are doing for their schools. 

COMPARISON OF WHEELING SCHOOL EXPENDITURES WITH THOSE OF 

OTHER CITIES. 

(a) The taxable wealth in the independent school district of Wheeling for 1920 is 
$65,404,955.* But a study of school taxation by 45 cities of 30,000 to 100,000 popula- 
tion in 1917-18 reveals the fact that Wheeling was considered as not assessing property 
on a 100 per cent valuation, and if so taxed its taxable wealth in 1917 would be 
$93,534,000 instead of $62,893,115 as given. 

(6) In comparison with the same 45 cities, Wheeling ranks 33 as to total school 
expenses (excluding additions and improvements) ; it ranks 38 in expenses for general 
control; 32 in instruction cost (day school); 34 in cost of plant operation; 29 as to 
expenses for auxiliary agencies; and 26 fixed charges and interest. 

(c) Wheeling's cost in 1919-20 per pupil average daily attendance as to total school 
expenses is $76.69; for general control, $3.16; for instruction (day school), $54.13; 
operation of plant, $7.34; upkeep, $7.16; auxiliary agencies, $2.26; fixed charges and 
interest, $2.64. 

THE ACCOUNTS OF THE WHEELING PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 

(a) The public schools of Wheeling unfortunately, like numerous other school 
systems of the country, maintain no accounting system in the technical sense of the 
word. By this is meant a double-entry set of books from which balance sheets, op- 
erating, and other analytical statements may be currently drawn. 

(b) The school accounts of Wheeling consist of a voluminous record of receipts and 
disbursements, a portion of which is duplication, with but little separation as to 
character of expenditure, and mixed up as to distribution of functional costs. There 
appears to be a misunderstanding as to which funds are the proper ones to make certain 
charges against and have the charges legal. Instances exist where abatements of 
expenditures are shown as revenues; and also the opposite, where abatements of rev- 
enues are shown as expenditures. Expenditures pertaining to different school years 
are not clearly segregated. Expenditures, such as repairs and improvements, are 
grouped together, although one is expense and the other investment. 

(c) The annual financial statements of the schools are to be criticized as masses of 
undigested data, giving little information to the public, and of practically no value 
for administrative review. 

(d) The method of filing is antiquated and the filiilg apparatus obsolete. 

(e) As for the store records, it would be unfair to say that there are none, inasmuch 
as memoranda totals of quantities are occasionally made; but, nevertheless, the 
requisitions on which books and supplies are delivered from the storeroom are not 
priced nor extended and are therefore not recorded in any financially usable form. 

(/) The schools are doing a business of from $300,000 to $400,000 (in 1919-20 it reached 
$500,000; in 1920-21, $619,425.36), but the accounting staff consists of one man who 
acts as clerk of the board, bookkeeper, cashier, paymaster, filing clerk, purchasing 
agent, and storekeeper. The only assistance he has is a portion of the services of a 
stenographer, who acts also in like capacity for the superintendent of schools. 

1 Including public utilities, $72,026,205. 



FINANCING AND ACCOUNTING. 



23 



(g) Inquiry develops the fact that it has not been the policy of the board to author- 
ize, or the clerk to request, attendance by him at annual conventions of school ac- 
countants where modern and advanced methods of school accounting are reviewed 
and discussed. 

Dissection of School Accounts and Preparation of Balance Sheet, Operating and 

Other Financial Statements. 

(a) The total value of school property in Wheeling, after deducting depreciation, 
is $1,071,454.13. While it would cost twice this amount to replace it, this is the amount 
it approximately represents in modern educational values. 

(&) In 1919-20 the schools expended $421,227.38, of which $376,427.47 (89.4 per 
cent) was for expense (salaries, supplies, and repairs); and $44,799.91 (10.6 per cent) 
was for investment (additions and improvements). 

(c) The total revenues were $426,400.97, of which $337,884.10 went to the school 
fund and $88,516.87 to the building fund. 

(d) The following show conditions as of June 30, 1920, and indicate the forms in 
which it is suggested that the several accounts be kept: 

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OF WHEELING, W. VA. 
Balance Sheet (All Funds Together). 



ASSETS. 

Land $315,101.66 

Instructional buildings 650, 652. 47 

Instructional equipment 77, 700. 00 

Janitors' residences 28,000.00 

Instructional supplies 1 5, 000. 00 

Insurance (prepaid) x 500. 00 

Taxes receivable (delinquent) from 

current and prior years l 5, 000. 00 

Cash 51,312.49 



1, 133, 266. 62 



LIABILITIES. 

Bonds outstanding $120, 000. 00 

Accounts payable 2 46, 138. 90 

Surplus 56,812.49 



Investment of school corporation 910, 315. 23 



1, 133, 266. 62 



Operation Statement (School Fund). 



Expenses pertaining to 1918-19 3 $4, 021. 86 

Expenses pertaining to 1919-20 371, 405. 61 



School fund revenues * $337,884. 10 

Excess of expenses over operation reve- 
nues 37,543.37 



375, 427. 47 

Capital Account Statement (Building Fund). 



375, 427. 47 



Investment pertaining to 1918-19 3 $1, 000. 00 

Investment pertaining to 1919-20 44, 799. 91 

Excess of revenues over investment 42, 716. 96 



Building fund revenues 5 $88, 516. 87 



88, 516. 87 
i Estimated. 

2 Deficit in school fund June 30, 1920. 

3 These two items make a total of $5,021.86, the school fund deficit on June 30, 1919. 
* Available for school operation, upkeep, and miscellaneous expenses. 

& Available only for additions and improvements. 



3, 516. 87 



24 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 



Table 4. — Statement of property of the independent school district of Wheeling, as of 

June 30, 1920. 



Items. 



Total 

Elementary schools 

Washington 

Clay 

Jefferson 

Union 

Center 

Webster 

Madison: 

Old building 

New building 

Ritcher 

McKinley 

Lincoln 3 

Secondary schools 

High school— main building 
Home economics building. . 

Athleticfleld 



Total. 



$107, 145, 413 



720, 393 



52, 000 
52, 000 
46,500 
97,000 
51,613 
84,000 

212, 280 

61,000 
34, 500* 
29,500 



30, 895, 947 



28,295,947 
26, 000 



4, 210, 166 



Land 

(original 

cost). 



$31,510,166 



123, 000 



10,000 
10,000 

8,000 
15, 000 
10,000 

5,000 

25, 000 

25, 000 

10,000 

5,000 

(0 



150, 000 



140, 000 
10, 000 



4, 210, 166 



Instructional buildings. 



Type of 
construc- 
tion. 







Brick 


1887 


...do 


1862 


...do 


1897 


...do 


1908 


...do 


1880 


...do 


1893 


...do...... 


1918 


...do 


1921 


...do 


1872 


...do 


1887 


...do 


1893 


Brick 


1915 


...do 


( 2 ) 




( 2 ) 



Date. 



Cost. 



$65, 065, 247 



527, 693 



36, 000 
36, 000 
33, 000 
73, 000 
35,113 
73,000 

97,514 
52, 066 
42, 000 
25, 000 
25, 000 



12,295,947 



11,095,947 
12, 000 



Items. 



Instruc- 
tional 
equipment 
(cost). 



Janitors' residences. 



Type of 
construc- 
tion. 



Date. 



Cost. 



Total. 



$77, 700 



$28, 000 



Elementary schools . 



41, 700 



28,000 



Washington....... 

Clay 

Jefferson 

Union 

Center 

Webster 

Madison: 

Old building.. 

New building. 

Ritcher 

McKinley 

Lincoln 3 



3,000 
3,000 
2,000 
5,000 
3,000 
6,000 

5,500 
3,200 
6,000 
2,000 
3,000 



Secondary schools. 



36,000 



High school— main building. 
Home economics building. . . 



32,000 
4,000 



Athleticfleld. 



Frame. 
Brick.. 
...do... 
...do... 
...do... 
0) 

[ Frame. 
...do... 



1887 
1874 
1897 



1882 



3,000 
3,000 
3,500 
4,000 
3,500 



Frame., 



1889 

1890 

( 2 ) 

1885 



4,000 

3,000 
2,500 
1,500 



(!) 



i Janitor has his residence within the school building. 

2 Date of construction not obtained. 

3 Lincoln School is a school for colored children, and has both elementary and high-school grades. 

* The grounds of the Lincoln School are a part of the city commons, and therefore title to the land is 
not vested in the board of education. 



FINANCING AND ACCOUNTING. 



25 



Table 5. — Statement of 1919-20 expenditures by character and function, as of June 30, 

1920. 



Amount. 



Per cent. 



Total expenditures. 



$421,227.38 



100.0 



Expense . 



Financing l 

Direction and control 

Teaching supervision 

Instructional service 

Operation of buildings and grounds 

Upkeep of buildings, grounds, and equipment. 
Auxiliary agencies and other activities 



Investment . 



376,427.47 


89.4 


12,829.01 


3.0 


9, 525. 82 


2.3 


5, 820. 80 


1.4 


266,970.91 


63.4 


35, 587. 74 


8.5 


34,736.45 


8.2 


10,956.74 


2.6 


44, 799. 91 


10.6 



Additions and improvements . 
Bond payments 



34,799.91 
10, 000. 00 



8.2 
2.4 



i Interest on bonds, interest on bank overdrafts, commission to city collector on collections, and fidelity 
insurance. 

Table 6. — Statement of revenues for 1919-20. 



Items. 



Total. 



Cash balance, July 1, 1919 

Federal aid (Smith-Hughes fund). 

State funds 1 

Local taxes: 

In 1919-20 

Delinquent from prior years . . 

Tuition fees 

Sales of material and supplies 

Depository interest 

Miscellaneous revenues 



School fund. 



$337,884.10 



1,074.25 
34,379.51 

292,462.74 
4,738.95 
1,384.46 
1,679.38 
1,741.09 
423.72 



Building 
fund. 



$88, 516. 87 



33,031.51 

'"5,"449.'3i 

48,483.12 
752. 42 



472. 70 
327. 81 



Total. 



$426, 460. 97 



33,031.51 

1,074.25 

39, 828. 82 

340,945.86 
5,491.37 
1,384.46 
1,679.38 
2,213.79 
751.53 



1 Not funds in the nature of State aid, but funds representing a tax on corporations and penalties upon 
estates of deceased, collected by the State in Wheeling and so returnable to the locality. 

Table 7. — Consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 1920 (all funds). 



ASSETS. 

Fixed property: 

Land $315,101.66 

Instructional buildings 650, 652. 47 

Instructional equipment 77, 700. 00 

Janitors' residences 28, 000. 00 

Total 1,071,454.13 

Current assets: 

Stores (instructional supplies) 15, 000. 00 

Insurance (prepaid and unearned) 2 500. 000 

Taxes receivable (delinquent) 3 5, 000. 00 

Cash— Building fund. . . .$51, 312. 49 
School fund 46,138,90 



Total. 



4 5, 173. 59 
15, 673. 59 



LIABILITIES. 

Funded debt: 

Bonds outstanding $120,000.00 

Capital investment 951, 454. 13 



Total 1,071,454.13 

Current liabilities: 

Accounts payable ( 5 ) 

Surplus 15, 673. 59 



Total. 



15,673.59 



Grand total 1,087,127.72 



Grand total 1, 087, 127. 72 

1 Estimated on hand at end of fiscal year. 

2 Estimated. 

3 Delinquent taxes of current and prior years. 

* Credit balance, representing overdraft on bank. 

s Accounts payable undoubtedly existed at this time, but they were not readily obtainable from the 
accounts as maintained. 

65670°— 21 4 



26 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. . 



Table 8. — Operation statement (school fund) as of June SO, 1920. 



DEBITS. 



Deficit from 1918-19 * $4, 021. 86 

Expanses of 1919-20 371,405.61 

Total 375,427.47 



Revenues 1919-20 2 $337,884. 10 

Excess of expenses over operation reve- 
nues 8 37, 543. 37 



Total 375,427.47 

1 This amount, with the $1,000 payable from 1918-19 building fund, makes a total of $5,021.86, the deficit 
in school fund at close of 1919-20. The payments being made in 1920-21 are arbitrarily distributed as above 
into expenses and investment. 

2 Available for operation and upkeep of schools and for miscellaneous expenses. 

3 The difference between the building fund surplus ($42,716.96) and the school fund deficit ($37,543.37) 
is $5,173.59, which is the amount shown as net cash on the balance sheet. In these two statements the 
technical entries necessary to show balances to agree with bank balances (credit and overdraft) are omitted. 

Table 9. — Capital account statement (building fund) as of June SO, 1920. 



DEBITS. 

Accounts payable from 1918-19 $1, 000. 00 

Investment for year 1919-20 44, 799. 91 

Excess revenues over expenditures 42, 716. 96 

Total 88,516.87 

1 Available only for additions and improvements 



CREDITS. 



Balance from 1918-19 1 $33, 031. 51 

Revenues from 1919-20 155,485.36 



Total S8,516.87 



Table 10. — Balance sheet as of June SO, 1920. 
(Library fund.) 



ASSETS. 

Fixed property: 

Land $20,063.68 

Buildings 36,207.73 

Equipment — 

Books. : 41,664.98 

Periodicals 4,058.28 

Library furniture 1, 609. 17 

Miscellaneous 1, 486. 87 

Total 105,090.71 

Current assets: 

Taxes receivable (delinquent) 1 150. 00 

Prepaid expenses x 50. 00 

Cash 1,616.65 

Total 1,816.65 



LIABILITIES. 

Reserves: 

Reserves for depreciation of— 

Buildings 1 $3, 500. 00 

Equipment » 17,250.00 

Capital investment 84, 340. 71 



Total 105,710.09 

Current liabilities: 

Accounts payable ( 2 ) 

Surplus 1, 816. 65 

Total 1,816.65 



Grand total 106, 907. 36 

1 Estimated. 

8 Not easily obtainable from the accounts as maintained. 



Grand total 106,907.36 



Table 11. — Operation statement. 



EXPENDITURES. 

Financing 1 $164. 89 

Library administration and service 5, 474. 38 

Building operation 2, 422. 02 

Upkeep of building and equipment. .... 1, 101. 32 



Total expenses 9, 162. 61 

Investment (additions and improve- 
ments) 2, 917. 97 



Total expenditures 12, 080. 58 

Excess of revenues over expenditures. . . 1, 616. 65 



REVENUES. 



Cash balance, July 1, 1919 $2, 541. 04 

State (transmitted by State auditor) ... 2 1, 054. 69 
Local taxes — 

1919-20 9,383.83 

Delinquent from prior years 151. 77 

Book fines 490.50 

Depository interest 75. 40 



Total 13,697.23 

1 Commission to city collector on collections. 

2 Tax on local corporations; also penalty tax on estates of deceased 



Total 13,697.23 



FINANCING AND ACCOUNTING. 



27 



Table 12. — Independent school district of Wheeling, W. Va. — Expenditures for fiscal 

year, 1919-20. 



Per cent. Amount. 



Financing: 

Commission on collections (city collector) . 

Interest on bonds 

Interest on bank overdrafts 

Fidelity insurance 



Total. 



Direction and control: 

School elections 

Board of education and clerk's office 

Legalservices 

Superintendent's office 

Enforcement of compulsory attendance laws . 
Census enumeration 



Total. 



Teachi n g supervision : 
Industrial education . 

Home economics 

Physical i nstruct ion. 
Health ifistruction. . 

Music 

Drawing 

Penmanship 



Total. 



Instructional service: 
Day school — 

Elementary instruction- 
Undistributed 

White schools 

Colored schools 



Total. 



Secondary instruction (high school- 
Undistributed 

White schools 

Colored schools 



Total. 



Total day school 

Night school— 

Secondary instruction — white school. 
Summer school — 

Secondary instruction — whit e school . 



Total instructional service. 

Operation of buildings and grounds: 
Day school — 

Elementary schools — 

Undistributed 

White schools 

Colored schools 



Total. 



Secondary schools — 
Undistributed... 
White schools. . . 
Colored schools.. 



Total. 



Total day school 

Night school — 

Secondary school — white school . 
Summe r school — 

Secondary school — white school . 
Athletic field — undistributed 



Total operation of buildings and grounds. 



1.3 
1.3 

.2 
.2 



3.0 



.7 

.1 

1.1 

.4 



2.3 



1.4 



4.8 

39.8 

2.7 



47.3 



3.4 

10.7 

1.0 



15.1 



62.4 
.6 
.4 



63.4 



.1 

5.8 
.4 



6.3 



2.0 
.1 



2.1 



8.4 
.06 



55, 704. 55 

5, 625. 50 

718. 96 

780. 00 



12, 829. 01 



2,761.58. 

610.00 

4, 629. 94 

1,445.00 

79.30 



9, 525. 82 



1,405.98 
1,180.47 
641. 33 
299.22 
841. 25 
635. 05 
817. 50 



5, 820. 80 



1 20, 187. 39 

167, 246. 62 

11,338.33 



198, 772. 34 



114,532.27 

45, 262. 63 

3,939.17 



63,734.07 



262, 506. 41 
2, 699. 50 
1,765.00 



266,970.91 



2 555. 67 
24,422.43 

1,687.48 



26, 665. 58 



*7.60 

7,858.34 

599. 34 



8,465.28 



.04 



35, 130. 86 

242.74 

54.14 
160.00 



8.5 



35, 587. 74 



28 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 



Table 12. — Independent school district of Wheeling, W. Va. — Expenditures for fiscal 

year, 1919-20 — Continued. 



Per cent. 



Amount. 



Upkeep of buildings, grounds, and equipment: 
Elementary schools — 

Undistributed 

White schools 

Colored schools 



0.1 

6.4 

.1 



s$499. 29 

27,075.64 

550.02 



Total. 



6.6 



28, 124. 95 



Secondary schools — 
White schools. . . 
Colored schools. . 



1.6 



6,428.16 
183.34 



Total. 



1.6 



6,611.50 



Total upkeep of buildings, grounds, and equipment . 

Auxiliary agencies and other activities: 

Promotion of health of school children 

After-school playground supervision 

Lectures, graduation exercises, and celebrations 

Participation in expenses of Mozart School * , 

Contribution to teachers' pension fund 



8.2 



34,736.45 



1.7 
.... 



7, 101. 89 

98.50 

535. 75 

940. 60 

2,280.00 



Total. 



2.6 



10,956.74 



Investment: 

Additions and improvements — 

Land and improvements to land 

Buildings and heat, light, and plumbing equipment. 

Instructional equipment 

Miscellaneous equipment 



4.1 

2.7 

1.3 

.1 



17,444.00 

11,598.01 

5,402.90 

355.00 



Total 

Payment of bonds (increase in ownership) — high-school bonds. 



8.2 
2.4 



34,799.91 
10,000.00 



Total investment. . . 
Total expenditures. 



10.6 



100.0 



44, 799. 91 



421,227.38 



1 Teaching service of industrial education, home economics, physical instruction, etc., not distributed 
by school buildings. 

a Miscellaneous building operation expenses not distributed by school building. 

3 Miscellaneous upkeep expenses not distributed by school building. 

* The Mozart School expenditures are shared by three different school districts, of which the independent 
school district of Wheeling is one. 

(e) The point that referendum approval of a bond issue authorizes a tax levy for 
a bond principal and interest fund in addition to other school taxes seems never to 
have been considered by the board. 

(/) The legality of the school levy for 1920, which includes a tax for high school, 
from a reading of such sections of the school law as could be found, appears question- 
able. But the law which relates to the independent school district of Wheeling is 
such a matter of patchwork that the question is probably only to be solved by an 
extensive legal search and then confirmed by a court ruling. 

(g) The present policy of the board in regard to the teachers' pension fund as to 
appropriating a sufficient amount yearly to pay pension annuities without the prin- 
cipal of the fund being impaired should be incorporated permanently in the rules 
and regulations of the board. 

(h) A statement of the expenditures of the schools in 1919-20 by functions has been 
prepared in detail and will be shown as an appendix to the report. 

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. 

(a) Prior to the present year, when the board increased the library tax from 1$ 
to If cents, Wheeling has taken advantage of but one-fourth of its authorized power 
to tax 6 cents per $100 for library purposes. 

(b) Compared with 10 years ago the activities of the library have more than doubled. 



FINANCING AND ACCOUNTING. 29 

(c) A balance sheet prepared for the library as of June 30, 1920, shows its net invest- 
ment to be $84,340.71, and its surplus $1,816.65. 

(d) An operating sheet for 1919-20 shows an excess of revenues over expenditures 
to the amount of $1,616.65. 

(e) A graph, covering period of the last 10 years, shows book circulation and cost 
per 100 books circulated. The cost of library administration and book service is so 
low as to merit criticism rather than commendation. A per capita circulation in 
Wheeling of 1.9 and a cost of $8.37 does not show the liberality of such cities as Chi- 
cago, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, which have a per capita circulation of 2.2, 4.8, and 
2.5, respectively, and which expend $10.30, $13, and $28.10 per 100 books circulated. 
(Analysis of library expenditures of those cities in 1916-17.) 

(/) Chicago spends 22.2 cents, Cleveland 62.6 cents, and Pittsburgh 69.9 cents per 
capita for public libraries ; whereas Wheeling spends 21.4 cents. Obviously Wheel- 
ing should begin the construction of branch libraries and be more liberal in its expen- 
ditures for library personnel and in its purchase of books. 

CONSTRUCTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOL FINANCIAL AND 

BUSINESS PROCEDURE. 

(a) What is vitally necessary for the schools is the establishment of a business 
department to be headed by a subexecutive who shall report to the board via the 
superintendent of schools. 

(b) Such a department should contain an accounting staff of adequate size to furnish 
the superintendent, the board, and the public the same kind of financial and statis- 
tical information as is commonly required by any first-class business concern. 

(c) Modern accounting methods and procedure should be adopted. 

(d) Up-to-date filing apparatus should be installed; likewise other labor-saving 
devices wherever practical. 

(e) All contracting and purchasing should clear through this department, and a 
complete system of stores control should be put into effect. 

(/) All janitorial and repair service should be under the technical control and 
supervision of this department, and under the managerial supervision of the various 
school principals. 

(g) This department should be emphatically a service agency to the school system 
as a whole, to the superintendent, and to the board. 

(h) A modern budget system should be adopted by the board. Such a budget 
should be prepared on the basis of functions and should include the originating of 
departmental estimates by the heads of the various school departments. These 
estimates should be transmitted to the business department for combination and 
analysis, and then be forwarded to the superintendent for review. He, as the schools' 
executive, should be responsible for the budget in its entirety, and in its presentation 
to the board it should represent the policy and program which he recommends for the 
schools for the ensuing year. The function of the board should then be the approval 
or disapproval in total or in part of the budget as submitted. Upon its approval and 
formal adoption by the board the budget should be the superintendent's legalized 
authority for the ensuing year's expenditures, and he should be the administrative 
official to be held responsible for the board for the execution of the budget as approved. 

(i) An amendment to the school code should be immediately presented to the 
legislature, which will make mandatory the adoption of the school budget for the 
ensuing year prior to the close of each fiscal year, and thus eliminate the hiatus of 
financial authority which at present exists between the beginning of a school year 
and the date prescribed by law for the adoption of the budget by the board several 
weeks later. 



30 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

IV. SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. 



DIFFICULTIES INHERENT IN THE SITUATION. 

The city of Wheeling is so crowded between the hills and the river that there are 
really no vacant spaces suitable in size, contour, and position upon which to locate 
schoolhouses in any satisfactory way, and therefore the school board is faced with 
great difficulty when the problem, of selecting new sites arises. One of two things 
will have to be done if the board insists on proper sites, as it should: It will be neces- 
sary either to enter extensive condemnation proceedings in order to clear spaces 
large enough, or else accessible sites must be found beyond the ordinary limits of the 
city and some arrangements made for transportation to these. 

It is recommended, therefore, that the board take this matter in hand at once, and 
after due consideration and public discussion settle on a policy to pursue when future 
buildings are under consideration. Each school principal, with the cooperation of 
his teachers, should be asked to prepare a "pin map" showing where the students 
now attending school live. These maps will show at a glance from what parts of the 
city the children come and how, relatively, they are situated with reference to the 
present buildings. If such maps are prepared each year, then objectively they will 
show any possible shifting of the clientage and a hint at least of how to anticipate 
needs. 

SURROUNDINGS AFFECT THE EFFICIENCY OF A SCHOOL. 

In addition to the problem of congestion as it relates to needed sites, the problems 
of dust and noise should receive more consideration than heretofore. Union School 
site is a horrible example of selecting a lot too close to a noisy, dirty, and dangerous 
railway; and the Ritchie School is not much better off. 

The present school lots are totally inadequate in size to permit any playgrounds of 
real consequence. A real school playground, big enough to satisfy school children, 
is the best democratizing agency possible, and far more effective most of the year for 
health development than any gymnasium. 

ORIENTATION AND LIGHTING. 

Classrooms of school buildings are best lighted and best purified by sunshine when 
the 'windows open toward the east or west only. 

The lighting of all the school buildings in Wheeling is seriously faulty. In the first 
place, all the classrooms where it was possible have bilateral lighting. This is bad, 
and all thoughtful teachers know it. Under such conditions either the teacher or 
the pupils must face toward windows. 

In most cases the pupil is compelled to work in his own shadow, and because of 
cross lights he is handicapped in many other ways. 

In all future buildings the house should be so planned and set on the lot as to give 
east or west exposure on the long side of all classrooms, and no windows should be set 
in other walls. These windows, at least five in number, should be set with sills 4 
feet above the floor, and should run to the ceiling, or as close to the ceiling as possible. 
They should be grouped closely together, and the glass area should be approximately 
one-fourth of the floor area. 

Adequate reasons for these directions may be found in any good book on school 
hygiene . 

HEATING AND VENTILATION. 

The hot-air heating systems found in most of the present school buildings do not 
represent the best practice, nor the most economical for school buildings. A low- 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. 31 

pressure steam heating plant is the best. Direct radiation in the rooms with ther- 
mostatic regulation, but without the use of fans, will in the long run prove most 
efficient. 

ADEQUATE SUPPLIES OF FRESH AIR ESSENTIAL. 

It is almost impossible with hot-air furnaces to keep the various rooms evenly and 
properly heated and healthfully ventilated. In future buildings low-pressure steam 
heating should be installed, with ample radiation in each room, controlled by ther- 
mostats, and teachers should be required to regulate the ventilation through properly 
constructed windows. 

JANITOR SERVICE. 

The janitor service in the school buildings of Wheeling is, with few exceptions, 
inferior, and the prime cause of this inefficiency is due mainly to the fact that the 
janitors are not placed directly and specifically under the direction and control of 
the principals of the various schools. There should be no divided responsibility 
here. The principal should be held responsible for the hygienic condition and safety 
of the building, and this responsibility necessarily carries with it authority over the 
service of the janitor. 

The janitors should be well paid for their arduous services, and should be selected 
and retained by reason of their efficiency and ability to perform their very important 
duties. Next to the principal of the school, the duties and opportunities of the janitor 
call for good judgment, initiative, and special knowledge almost as much as do those 
of any teacher. 

Many liberties are now being taken by the janitors of some of the buildings, such as 
storing their own furniture, vegetables, canned goods; doing their own family wash- 
ing during school hours, etc., in school buildings. Such use of school buildings is 
not desirable, and should be discontinued. 

FLOORS OF SCHOOLHOUSES. 

The school buildings of Wheeling were originally furnished with unusually good 
floors, but they have been badly abused and show lack of proper care. Most of the old 
buildings were supplied with fine oak floors, and these have held up well under the 
abuse they have been subjected to. They are now dry; cracks have opened, and splin- 
ters are appearing. This is largely due to the wet scrubbings they have had to undergo. 

Floors should never be scrubbed with soap and water, for this is the surest and 
quickest way to ruin them. They should be sanded and swept clean, and then oiled 
and swept with some sawdust preparation containing the proper porportion of oil, 
sand, and sawdust. This will keep the floors cleaner, prevent clouds of dust from rising, 
and also prevent the boards from ^alternately swelling and shrinking, as will be the case 
when scrubbed with soap and water. 

FLOORS SHOULD BE CLEANED AND OILED. 

All the floors of the various buildings should be thoroughly cleansed and then 
cautiously and properly oiled with a light oil. Oiled floors are more free from dust, 
last longer, look better, save work in keeping them clean, and are more hygienic than 
dry floors. 

COLOR OF WALLS. 

The treatment given to the walls of the schoolrooms in Wheeling generally violates 
not only the canons of good taste but the requirements of utility. Not only are many 
of the rooms unsightly and esthetically annoying but the effect is even harmful, in 
that the rooms are darkened when more light rather than less is needed. 



32 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

Scientific investigation has determined in no uncertain terms the colors which are 
best to use on schoolroom walls, and school boards should make sure that a decorator 
who enters a schoolroom knows what is best and will then faithfully follow intelligent 
guidance. 

The following brief summary of suggestions resulting from investigations on this 
subject may be helpful in planning future changes: 

1. The wall space between the floor and the window sills, and the chalk troughs, 
should be a light brown. 

2. Side walls and ceilings should be in a light buff, or cream, depending to some 
extent on the illumination and the location of the building with reference to climate. 
A light gray is also acceptable. Colors from the red end of the spectrum should never 
be used. 

CLOAKROOMS. 

Cloakrooms are necessities in all elementary schools, and locker rooms for high 
schools. The plans of the older buildings in Wheeling made insufficient space for 
cloakrooms, and as a result the children 's wraps and other articles of clothing are often 
piled up together, thus offering opportunity for the transmission of parasites from child 
to child and also preventing proper airing or drying in damp or rainy weather. 

BLACKBOARDS. 

The various school buildings of Wheeling are supplied with excellent slate black- 
boards, and in general these are in splendid condition. However, they are not always 
set at the proper height to meet the needs of the children through the various grades. 

In all future buildings, in those rooms designed for first and second grades, the 
blackboards should be set 26 inches above the floor; in those for the third and fourth 
grades, 28 inches above the floor; in those for the fifth and sixth grades, 32 inches 
above the floor; and in those for the seventh and eighth and high-school grades, 36 
inches above the floor. The blackboard should be 36 inches wide, from top to bot- 
tom, except at the teacher's end of the room, where it should be 48 inches wide. 

STAIRWAYS AND FIREPROOFING. 

If the furnaces, coal rooms, chimneys, stairways, and halls of school buildings are 
made fireproof; if janitors are careful to keep all greasy mops or rags, oils, and other 
inflammable materials in fire proofed rooms; and if all electric wiring is inclosed in 
steel tubes and otherwise properly protected, then there is little danger to the children 
or to the buildings from fires starting from within. Should a fire menace from without 
there will always be ample time to get the children out before they are endangered. 

There is little or no value in fire escapes for school children, because with safe and 
adequate stairways they can be gotten out of danger by means of carefully planned 
and thorough fire drills in less than one-tenth of the time, and with far greater safety, 
than through any fire escape ever made. The chief effect of fire escapes at public- 
school buildings of two stories (and they ought not to be any taller) is to produce a 
feeling of false security in the minds of parents. 

CONSTRUCTION OF STAIRWAYS AND EXITS. 

Stairways should have ample landings, wide treads, medium risers, and strong, 
properly placed handrails. They should be well lighted and sufficient in number 
and capacity to meet safely all possible demands. 

Many, in fact, nearly all, of the older school buildings in Wheeling are a fire menace, 
because practically none of the precautions of construction noted above have been 
complied with. Hence, janitors should be constantly on guard, and should not be 
permitted to leave their buildings during school hours. Elsewhere this report empha- 
sizes the need of keeping basements from debris. 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. 33 

SIZE OF CLASSROOMS. 

Forty pupils are enough for a teacher to handle in the elementary grades, and a 
classroom 30 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 12| feet high is sufficient space for this num- 
ber of pupils. This will accommodate five rows of desks, with eight in a row, and 
allow sufficient room for aisles and other necessary space. Many of the classrooms in 
the old buildings are more nearly square, and contain considerably more cubic feet of 
space than necessary. This increased the cost of the buildings unnecessarily, and 
likewise has constantly demanded more heat, more cleaning, and more expense for 
general upkeep. 

Classrooms for high schools must vary to accommodate large, medium, and small 
classes. Satisfactory dimensions and arrangement of rooms can be arrived at only 
when the architect consults with the principal and teachers who are to use the par- 
ticular building in question. 

TOILETS AND URINALS. 

All toilet seats should face toward windows, and should be set along walls in single 
rows, and not back to back. Such rooms should be arranged in stacks on the main 
floors and kept out of basements. These rooms should open out of rest rooms, lava- 
tories, or locker rooms, and not directly into halls. If possible, direct-pressure wash- 
out fixtures should be installed. Juvenile sizes should be installed for the first four 
grades at least. All urinals should be set under windows and furnished with glazed 
white stalls and set a little below the level of a tiled floor. While this floor should 
slope slightly toward the urinals, it is a serious blunder to make this slope too far back. 

The best fixtures are in the long run most economical. Toilet rooms must have 
plenty of light and sunshine and abundant ventilation. 

PLACING DESKS. 

If desks are fastened to the floor, great care must be taken to space them properly, 
and at about 2\ inches minus distance. That is to say, a vertical line from the edge 
of the desk to the floor should strike the seat board about 2\ inches back from its front 
edge. Desk chairs are better, for these can be selected in a number of sizes, and can 
be shifted to take advantage of conditions and demands. They are not fastened to 
the floor, and can therefore be adjusted more readily to individual children. 

STORAGE OF FURNITURE AND OTHER DISCARDED MATERIAL. 

Every city system of schools should have a central storage building and shop 
facilities, into which to check all surplus furniture where repairs may be made, and 
where lists of all temporarily unused equipment may be kept. Under this plan, 
whenever any item of furniture, material, or supplies is needed in any building, the 
superintendent can quickly and accurately determine whether the item requisitioned 
is available or whether it is necessary to purchase. 

SUMMARY OF BUILDING NEEDS. 

MCKINLEY SCHOOL. 

The lighting of the classrooms in this building is bad and has been from the first. 
Whenever windows are placed on two sides of a classroom either the teacher or the 
pupils will have to face glaring windows. 

It is possible to take two of the windows from the north and south ends of these 
rooms and set them in the east and west walls, and to close up the third window to the 
north and south. While this will give far better illumination than is now provided, 



34 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

it will not furnish the requisite ratio of glass surface to floor surface for any of the rooms. 
There seems to be no remedy for this deficiency, because the classrooms were not 
properly proportioned as to length and width when the building was planned. 

The walls in this building should be refinished in a light color. A light creamy 
buff, or a very light gray is safe and acceptable. The present disagreeable green is 
not only annoying to sensitive children but also absorbs a great deal of needed light. 

The floors of this building have been badly damaged by repeated scrubbings, and 
should be thoroughly cleaned and then oiled. 

RITCHIE SCHOOL. 

The old building of this school should be discarded at the very earliest opportunity, 
for it would cost more to reconstruct it to meet modern demands than to construct 
an entirely new building. No money should be expended on this building, save that 
which is necessary to keep it as safe and clean as possible during the time it may be 
used. 

The basement should be thoroughly cleaned of all rubbish and broken and dis- 
carded furniture. 

When this building was inspected by the representative of the survey commission, 
it was necessary to send for the janitor, who could not be found about the building. 
There is too much at stake, with a building occupied by children, to allow any possible 
danger to arise without some responsible person at hand to take immediate action. 
If some imperative mission takes the janitor away from the building during school 
hours, some other responsible person should be substituted until his return. In every 
such case the principal should approve the arrangements in advance. 

The ventilation of neither building at this school is adequate, and the teachers 
should all be carefully directed how to use the windows most effectively for this 
purpose. 

Unfortunately, the newer building is situated so close to the railroad tracks that 
effective school work is practically impossible. 

With the exception of bilateral lighting, setting the windows too near the floor, and 
insufficient cloakroom space, this annex is quite satisfactory as far as the building is 
concerned. 

The fan room needs cleaning, and the fine maple floors provided should be thor- 
oughly cleaned and oiled immediately, and scrubbing with water discontinued. 

WEBSTER SCHOOL. 

No expensive changes looking toward making this building meet acceptable modern 
demands should be undertaken. It should be kept in as good condition as possible, 
and abandoned at an early date, as soon as a new and modernly planned larger build- 
ing can be provided to take care of the children in this district and most of those now 
attending the Ritchie School. 

The following repairs should be made at once: (1) Correct the insanitary condition 
of the urinal; (2) cut down the sides of the stalls in both toilet rooms, so to give better 
light and better ventilation; (3) clean out the basement, especially the fan room; 
(4) retint the walls in a light cream color; (5) oil the floors, and discontinue scrubbing 
them with water; and (6) guard the building carefully to prevent fires. 

CENTER SCHOOL. 

No expensive repairs should be made on this building, and it should be abandoned 
as soon as the board can command the means to do so. 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. 35 

MADISON SCHOOL. 

It is unfortunate that in the reconstruction of the old building the windows were 
not changed from the old type of windows in adjoining walls of classrooms to the 
better plan of unilateral lighting. It is probably inadvisable to make these changes 
now, but the children and teachers will necessarily suffer as a result of this oversight. 

It is not too late, however, to correct the faults of the toilets and urinals by install- 
ing modern appliances in a modern way. The white walls of this reconstructed build- 
ing should be tinted in a very light buff, while the ceilings may either remain white 
or, better, be toned down so as to forestall glaring lights. 

It is to be regretted that the assembly room was constructed at great expense with 
a sloping floor, thereby practically limiting its use to auditorium purposes only. 
At less expense in construction and furniture, it might have been made to serve as 
an auditorium, as a gymnasium, a study hall, a community entertainment and exhi- 
bition room, and for other purposes. 

It is inadvisable to put manual training, home economics, or any other kind of 
important school work in basement rooms, and those classes now situated in the base- 
ment of this building, or any other school in the city, should be removed therefrom 
at the earliest possible date. Such work is very important work, and should not be 
handicapped by being put in unsuitable quarters. 

WASHINGTON SCHOOL. 

This building is a duplicate of the old Madison building, and is a monumental 
demonstration of how not to plan a school edifice. It would be poor economy to 
undertake a radical reconstruction of this building, and the only thing to do is to 
use it till such time as the board can get sufficient means to provide a new building 
in a better location away from the noise, smoke, and dust of the railway yards. 

CLAY SCHOOL. 

It would be unwise to undertake any substantial reconstruction of this building. 
It should be kept in as safe and sanitary condition as possible, until it can be displaced 
with a new building on a larger lot. 

A few repairs and changes should be made immediately: 

1. The hot-air ducts of the old and displaced heating system, leading from the 
furnace room to the various classrooms, should be carefully and securely sealed in 
order both to prevent dust and foul air ascending into the classrooms, and to eliminate 
the very definite fire hazard involved. 

2. There should be better and more thorough fireproofing on the joists above the 
boilers and smoke pipes. The fire drills now used should be continued, and with every 
added improvement possible. 

3. The urinal is unsatisfactory, for the slanting slate is too wide and too steep for 
safety. This should be cut off to a point within 16 inches of the drain, the level 
cement floor continued to this point, and the iron bar removed. These changes, for 
obvious reasons, will keep this room in a much better sanitary condition. 

4. Certain rooms have erroneously placed desks, and these facts were pointed out to 
the principal and plans suggested for better arrangements. 

JEFFERSON BUILDING. 

An additional window should be set in the east side of each classroom opening 
toward the east, and one in each classroom opening toward the west, and the windows 
on the north and south sides of these rooms should be closed up. 



36 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

The desks in the east rooms should all be made to face the south, while those in the 
west rooms should be made to face the north. Then, if these desks are grouped as 
closely as practicable to the window side, with eight desks in a row from front to back, 
in five rows, the pupils will then get light from the left and the teacher will not have 
to face the light. 

While this arrangement will not give so much area of glazing to each room as they 
now have, the light will be much better and the teacher will not have to face the light. 

The warm-air registers in the floors of the classrooms should be removed and placed 
in the walls, if possible, about 8 feet above the floor. If this can not be done, a 
better heating plant of low-pressure steam, regulated by thermostats, should be in- 
stalled with direct radiation in the rooms. The fan should then be removed and de- 
pendence placed upon windows for ventilation. When the inspection was made, the 
ventilation was faulty and the rooms were too hot. This is a good building. With 
proper care, and the changes suggested, it can be used for many years safely and with 
satisfaction. 

UNION SCHOOL. 

This building is most unfortunately placed so near the steam railway tracks as to 
cause a great loss of time from noise and suffering from the gas-ladened smoke of 
passing trains. There are many good features in this building despite bad fenestra- 
tion. Nothing can be done to get rid of the noise, which will in all probability increase 
instead of decrease. It would be difficult and expensive to rearrange the windows, 
and so only the following recommendations are offered : 

1. The thermostatic system is out of order, and should be corrected at once, for 
not only is the health of the teachers and children involved, but also the economic 
use of fuel. 

2. There is a good deal of debris and furniture, some of it not belonging to the school, 
stored in the basement. All of this not needed should be removed and stored else- 
where. 

3. The toilet seats should be kept in a more sanitary condition, and all flushing 
apparatus should be thoroughly cleaned and kept in better repair. Some of this 
apparatus was not working at all. As soon as possible, individual and direct flush 
toilet seats and enameled urinals should be installed. The former should all be 
set to face the windows, while the latter should be set directly beneath the window. 
This will insure better ventilation, a lighter room, and a great saving in water and 
electricity. 

HOME ECONOMICS BUILDING. 

The basement of this building is rather poorly ventilated, and is likely to be damp 
in summer. The furnaces are rather dangerously close to the joists above, and, though 
gravel has been placed on their tops, great care should be given these in severe weather, 
when heavy firing may become necessary, to prevent overheating and consequent 
danger. 

HIGH SCHOOL. 

The high-school building was miserably planned, and beyond that little can be 
said that will be of any help to the board. In the first place, the lot was totally inade- 
quate and greatly handicapped the architect. In the second place, there is evidence 
everywhere that the plans were not submitted to those who know the needs of a mod- 
ern high school, and that no one studied them carefully from the point of view of 
securing a serviceable and hygienic school building. 

The lighting is faulty, many of the rooms are badly proportioned, the basement is 
cut up into dark cubby-holes and passageways, and exterior decoration seems to have 
been preferred to adequate lighting. 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. - 37 

It is a painfully disappointing building. Nothing can be done in an economical 
way to remedy its defects or make it more useful and acceptable, and the youth who 
flock to it for many years to come will suffer because no one who knew what they 
needed was called to supervise its planning. 

The only changes now practicable are a few readjustments of desks and classes so 
as to conserve the vision of the teachers and children, and a general cleaning up of 
the basement. 

LIBRARY. 

In view of the fact that no member of the survey commission has made a special 
study of the requirements of a library building, this report discusses only such general 
questions as those of heating, lighting, etc. 

In the reading rooms the windows were set so near to the floor that it is impossible 
to set bookcases under them, and hence a mistake was made both from the point of 
view of the loss of book space and better illumination. The bottoms of windows for 
reading rooms should always be well above the level of the eyes of the reader when 
seated. 

This is particularly true on the second floor. There the small windows drop almost 
to the floor line, while the tops are many feet below the ceiling above. It must 
certainly be true that the upper rooms of this building are very warm in summer, and 
that adequate ventilation is peculiarly difficult. 

It seems evident that the plans of this building were not thoroughly studied from the 
point of view of use, and that much help might have come from calling upon prac- 
tical librarians for suggestions. 

LINCOLN SCHOOL. 

The basement of this building needs cleaning and repairing, especially the cold-air 
chamber and the door leading to it. The girls' toilet needs better ventilation and 
lighting. The grounds in the rear should be drained and graveled. The electric 
lights in the domestic science room should be fitted with proper shades to reduce the 
glare of uncovered bulbs; and the forge better protected to prevent smoke and gas 
from escaping into the rooms above. 

The recent additions made to this building were badly placed, because of the 
cutting off of light from other rooms. No further direct additions to this building 
should be made. If more room is needed, another building should be constructed on 
another lot, for the heating plant is now insufficient in severe weather for safety, and 
further additions would interfere with the lighting, already very bad. 



V. THE BUILDING PROGRAM. 



WHY WHEELING NEEDS A SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM. 

The following paragraphs outline the main features of a school building program 
looking forward over a number of years. Action on these proposals should await 
decision on the more fundamental need of the Wheeling schools, namely, that of 
reorganization of the scheme of administration. 

Nevertheless, one of the serious weaknesses in the school situation has been the 
lack of a comprehensive and forward-looking building program, guided by expert 
knowledge of the requirements of a modern school system. Even with a reorganized 
school board, therefore, the school buildings and equipment will need to be modi- 
fied in order to make possible all of the improvements suggested in this report. 

Modifications in the school building situation must necessarily be niade gradually 
and only after careful study of possible future contingencies, 



38 ' • EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 



SCHOOL BUILDINGS DO NOT MEASURE UP TO MODERN REQUIREMENTS. 

Wheeling's school plant is not modern. . With the exception of Madison and Union, 
there has been no new elementary school for 24 years. Five of the 9 elementary 
schools were built 34 or more years ago. One was built 49 and another 50 years ago. 
The buildings are old and archaic in construction; in a number of them the sanita- 
tion is bad; and in others the lighting is so inadequate that in some States the chil- 
dren would be forbidden by law to enter them. 

With few exceptions, the buildings are utterly lacking in modern educational 
facilities, such as auditoriums, gymnasiums, shops and laboratories, drawing and 
music rooms, libraries, and playgrounds. 

IMPORTANCE OF WORK AND PLAY AS WELL AS STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 

What Wheeling needs primarily is to realize that opportunities for work and play 
in school are educationally as important as provision for study. There has evidently 
been an attempt to provide some modern school activities in some schools, but they 
are very inadequate. One reason is because the public in general does not fully 
realize that children have always been educated through work and play as well as 
study, and that they can not be deprived of any of these three things if they are to 
receive a full, rich education. 

Fifty years ago, children had opportunities for this healthy work and play outside 
of school so that it was not necessary for the school to provide anything but classrooms. 
But during the past 50 years has come the growth of the modern city, with its factories 
and mills, and office buildings and tenements which go up on all vacant city lots and 
which have deprived children of the opportunities for the wholesome work and play 
which are essential elements in their education. The city home or apartment, unlike 
the farm, with its many opportunities of "learning by doing " can offer few educational 
opportunities in the way of healthful work which develops the ability to think by 
attacking problems to be solved. There is no planting and harvesting to be done; 
few, if any, animals are to be taken care of; and it is a rare city home that has a work- 
shop or laboratory. Yet children, until recently, have received much of their educa- 
tion through the opportunity to handle tools, to take care of animals, and to experi- 
ment in making and using things. 

SCHOOLS MUST RECOGNIZE CHANGING COMMUNITY CONDITIONS. 

But the city not only fails to educate children in the right direction; it educates 
them in the wrong direction, for the street, with its dangers to the physical and moral 
life of children, too often becomes their only playground; and street play means 
education, not in health and strength and wholesome living, but precocious education 
in all the vicious side of a city's life. 

For these reasons it has come to be recognized that the city school must not only 
provide classrooms, but it must also return to the children the opportunity for the 
healthful work and play which the home can no longer supply. This means that 
school buildings must contain not only classrooms, but auditoriums, gymnasiums, 
laboratories, drawing and music rooms, shops, libraries, and playgrounds where these 
activities may be carried on. 

The main problem in the building program is to recognize existing buildings and plan 
new buildings so that the children in each building may have not only classrooms, 
but modern educational facilities. How is such a program to be carried out within 
the financial ability of the city? 

There are two methods of meeting the situation. One is by the traditional method 
of school organization in which all children are expected to be in school seats at the 
same time, and if provision is made for special activities, such as shops or cooking 
rooms, the classrooms remain vacant when such facilities are in use. 



THE BUILDING PROGRAM. 39 

THE WORK-STUDY-PLAY OR PLATOON SCHOOL. 

The other method is commonly known as the work-study-play or platoon plan now 
in operation in many cities in this country, notably in Pittsburgh, Pa., where the plan 
has been in operation for six years. 2 This plan makes modern educational facilities 
financially possible for all children by using all parts of the school all the time instead 
of letting classrooms lie idle while shops and laboratories are in use. That is, it applies 
the principle of the balanced load, or multiple use of facilities. Under this plan, a 
school is divided into two parts, each containing all grades, and while half the school 
is in classrooms, the other half is using special facilities. At the end of one or two 
periods, the group of children who have been in classrooms go to special facilities, and 
the other group goes to the classroom. This means that only half the usual number of 
classrooms is needed, i. e., 12 classrooms in a 24-class school. A classroom costs at 
the present time $16,000 in most parts of the country. Therefore, by using 12 instead 
of 24 classrooms $192,000 is saved and released for special activities. Under the work- 
study -play plan, every child gets the same amount of time for the three R's, but he 
also has 40 minutes for play a day, 40 minutes of auditorium, and 40 minutes of shop 
or science or drawing. Furthermore, because of the flexibility of the program, the 
school can be adapted to the needs of the child, instead of vice versa. 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAM. 

By abandoning 6 old buildings, putting up 3 new buildings, and putting in modern 
equipment in 3 existing buildings, it is possible for Wheeling to have a school plant 
in which every school shall have adequate classrooms and also an auditorium, gymna- 
sium, shops, cooking and sewing rooms, science laboratories, drawing and music 
rooms, a library, and kindergarten. And it is possible to do this within the financial 
limits of the city. . 

The schools which should be abandoned ultimately are the Ritchie, McKinley, 
Clay, Jefferson, Center, and Lincoln. This will eliminate the costs of upkeep and out- 
lays for these buildings, which in the year 1920 amounted to $32,842.77. Wheeling 
has too many small buildings. The larger the buildings, within limits, the richer the 
facilities' that can be given to children ; the older and smaller the building, the more 
expensive it becomes. For example, the per capita cost of the Ritchie School with 
an enrollment of 510 pupils is $59.10, whereas the per capita cost of Madison with 906 
pupils is only $45.35. A summary of recommendations for each school district follows. 

RITCHIE DISTRICT. 

Ritchie and McKinley Schools should both be abandoned, as they are old, insani- 
tary buildings and archaic in construction. Erect in this district a new school build- 
ing for a 24-class school which would house the children in both Ritchie and McKinley. 
Under the work-study-play plan, it would need 12 classrooms, 2 shops for boys, a 
domestic science and sewing room for girls, 1 drawing room, 1 music room, 1 mechanical 
drawing room, 1 library, 1 chemistry laboratory, and 1 physics laboratory. The total 
cost would be $462,000. Under the traditional plan of school organization, it would 
be $659,000. This school should be a combination elementary and junior high school. 
The high school is so far away and expensive to reach that the children are not likely 
to go to it from this district, unless their interest is aroused through this preliminary 
work. The way to increase the enrollment in the high school is by developing modern 

elementary schools. 

. , 

2 See Economic Values of the Platoon Type of School Organization, prepared by William F. Kennedy, 
with the McKeloy School of Pittsburgh, as a type illustration. 



40 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

CLAY DISTRICT. 

Clay and Jefferson Schools should be abandoned, as Clay is an old, insanitary 
building, and Jefferson is too small to maintain economically. Erect a new building 
for the Clay and Jefferson and the seventh and eighth grade pupils from the Union 
School, leaving Union as a 6-grade school. This school would also be a 24-class school. 
The cost would be the same as for the Ritchie School. 

WEBSTER DISTRICT. 

Center School should be abandoned and the pupils in Center and Webster housed 
in the Webster School. If this building is organized on the work-study-play plan, 
there would be ample room for the children of both schools. There would be 988 
children, or a 24-class school. There are 18 classrooms in the building, a manual- 
training room, and a cooking room. Twelve of the classrooms could be used as class- 
rooms, one for an auditorium (it was originally built for this purpose), one for a kinder- 
garten, and the other six for special activity rooms-. There is a playground a block 
and a half away, and a portable gymnasium could be erected there. The cost for 
equipment for the special activities and for the gymnasium would come to $10,000. 
Under the traditional plan, 12 additional classrooms would be needed at a cost of 
$192,000. 

WASHINGTON DISTRICT. 

Washington is a well-built school, and though not modern can be made to furnish 
modern educational facilities for children, if operated on the work-study-play plan. 
Allowing for a kindergarten and a ninth grade (for this should also be a combination 
elementary and junior high school), there would be 633 children, or 16 classes in the 
school. There are 16 rooms; 8 could be used for classrooms and the other 8 for special 
facilities — 2 shops for boys, 1 drawing room, 1 music room, 1 nature-study room, 1 
library, and 2 rooms for an auditorium. The lot to the south of the school should be 
purchased for an additional playground, and the house used for domestic science and 
a kindergarten. A portable gymnasium should be erected on the school grounds. 
The cost of equipment of the special activity rooms would be $9,000, and the gym- 
nasium $3,500, making a total of $13,500. On the traditional plan, 8 additional class- 
rooms would be needed at a cost of $128,000, and there is no space in which to erect 
them. 

MADISON DISTRICT. 

Madison School is a comparatively new building, and although unfortunately 
constructed in many ways, it is superior to many of the buildings. It should be made 
into a combination elementary and junior high school, which would give an enrollment 
of about 1,086, or 28 classes. This should be made into a 30-class school. Counting 
both the old and new buildings, there are 29 classrooms available without counting 
the manual-training room in the basement. Under the work-study-play plan only 
15 classrooms would be needed. The other 13 rooms could be used as follows — 1 
chemistry laboratory, 1 physics laboratory, 1 freehand drawing room, 1 mechanical 
drawing room, 1 music room, 1 sewing room, 1 cooking room, 2 shops for boys, 1 nature 
study room, 1 library, and 1 kindergarten. Two rooms could be used for gymnasium 
for girls. A gymnasium for boys could be constructed between the left wing and the 
auditorium at a cost of approximately $25,000. The cost of equipment for the special 
rooms would be $7,500. The total cost, $32,500. Under the traditional plan, 15 
extra classrooms would be needed. They would cost $240,000 and there is no space in 
which to put them up. 



THE BUILDING PROGRAM. 



41 



LINCOLN SCHOOL. 

This is an old, inadequate building, placed inconveniently on a hill, which, ji the 
Wheeling Improvement Association plans materialize, will be used for a national 
highway connecting with Greater Wheeling. The building should be abandoned and 
a new building erected at the foot of the hill near the Negro church. As this is a com- 
bination elementary and high school, the building would have to be constructed to 
accommodate 8 elementary classes and 2 high-school classes. Under the work-study- 
play plan, 4 classrooms would be required for the elementary school and 2 for the high 
school. There should also be a chemistry laboratory, a physics laboratory, a shop for 
boys, 2 shops for girls, a drawing room, a music room, a library, kindergarten, audito- 
rium, and gymnasium. All these activities are carried on in the school at the present 
time, but with very inadequate equipment. A new building of 16 units, at a cost of 
$16,000 per unit, would be $256,000. Under the traditional plan, 6 additional class- 
rooms would be needed and the cost would be $352,000. 

Summary of costs of building program. 



School. 



Cost under 

work- 
study-play 
plan. 



Cost under 

traditional 

plan. 



Ritchie district, new building 

Clay district, new building 

Webster district 

Washington district 

Madison district 

Total white elementary schools 
Lincoln School 

Total 



$462,000 

462,000 

10,000 

13,500 

32, 500 



979, 500 
256,000 



1,235,500 



$659,000 
659,000 
192,000 
128, 000 
240,000 



1,878,000 
352,000 



2,230,000 



THE HIGH SCHOOL. 

According to the above plan, there will be three combination elementary and junior 
high schools in the city, one at Ritchie, one at Madison, and one at Washington. 
This will take the ninth grade from these districts out of the high school, thereby 
leaving plenty of room for the growth in the high school. Such an arrangement will 
also doubtless result in arousing among the children in these districts greater interest 
in going to high school because the junior high school work will stimulate their interest 
in the things that the high school has to offer. 



CAN WHEELING AFFORD THE PROPOSED BUILDING PROGRAM? 

Wheeling can afford the proposed building program. Wheeling's taxable wealth 
is given at $65,000,000, although it is estimated that on a 100 per cent valuation the 
taxable wealth of the city would be over $93,000,000. (See report on school finance.) 
Compared with other cities of the same population, but with even less taxable wealth, 
the amount of Wheeling's school property ($1,071,454.13) is below the average. Among 
45 cities of the same class it ranks thirty-fourth in the amount of school property. 
Bayonne, N. J., is also an industrial city of 55,000 population, and its taxable wealth 
at 100 per cent valuation is $68,485,000. The amount of its school property is $2,524,- 
000. In other words, up to the present time, Wheeling has not spent on her public- 
school plant the amount of money which her wealth justifies. 



42 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

BONDING THE CITY. 

The independent school district of Wheeling is able to bond the city for schools up 
to $3, 270,200. It has outstanding bonds for only $120,000. In other words, thedistrict 
has a leeway of over $3,000,000 before reaching the limit of bonded indebtedness for 
schools. There is no reason from a financial standpoint why Wheeling should not carry 
out a building program which would give all the children of the city the most modern 
educational advantages. 

Wheeling can not afford not to give these modern educational advantages to her 
children. It is said that America is the land of equal opportunity in education, but 
this does not mean opportunity for uniform education, but opportunity for the devel- 
opment of the varied gifts of many individuals. Democratic education means variety 
of opportunity in accordance with the needs of the individual. If Wheeling does not 
give this variety of opportunity in work and study and play to the children of all its 
people, then it is failing to tap the reservoirs of power for its coming citizenship. 
Moreover, it is laying up trouble for itself in the future, for nothing is more serious to 
any community than to have the great mass of people feel balked in their power of 
self-expression and attainment. 



VI. THE HIGH SCHOOLS. 



SELECTION OF SUBJECTS AND ORGANIZATION OF CURRICULA. 

(1) Needs of various groups of pupils should be more definitely served through 
reorganization of the five curricula now offered. 

(2) A scientific curriculum and a fine arts curriculum should probably be added. 

(3) Requirements as to subjects should be somewhat as follows (many of these are 
already in effect) : 

(a) English, two units, first and second year same for all pupils; third and fourth 
years differentiated to meet needs of (1) pupils in classical and fine arts curricula, (2) 
pupils in commercial and industrial arts curricula; pupils in other curricula will 
choose between these two types. 

(b) Present requirement of 2| units of mathematics should be limited to classical 
and scientific curricula; one unit of business arithmetic in commercial curriculum; 
one unit of business arithmetic or composite mathematics in the general, industrial, 
and household arts curricula. 

(c) Three units of social studies in the general curriculum, one in commercial, and 
two in all others. American history and civics, one-half unit each, required of all 
pupils. 

(d) Science, three units in scientific curriculum; one unit in all others. 

(e) Four units of foreign language in classical curriculum; two units in fine arts and 
scientific curricula. 

(/) Four units of household arts or industrial arts in household arts and industrial 
arts curricula, respectively; one unit of either in general curriculum. 
(h) Four units in art or music in fine arts curriculum. 
(i) Physical training, one-fourth unit each year required of all pupils. 
(j) Include in each curriculum only the elective subjects appropriate to it. 

(4) Part-time classes for employed boys and girls should be developed; also a 
two-year vocational curriculum preparing for wage earning. 



THE HIGH SCHOOLS. 43 

CLASSROOM WORK AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. 

(1) Attitude of teachers especially commendable; interest and enthusiasm evident 
in work observed. 

(2) Effectiveness of instruction may be increased through study and experimen- 
tation along the following lines: 

(a) Better assignment of lessons and direction of study. 

(6) More supplementary materials and wider application of class work to life 
situations. 

(c) More responsibility should be placed on pupils. 

(d) In daily work and semester examinations, more emphasis should be placed 
on questions involving comparison, judgment, interpretation, reasoning. 

(3) The extra-curricular activities (such as literary and debating societies, musical 
organizations, athletic sports) should be broadened in scope and more definitely 
utilized for their educational possibilities. 

ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION. 

(1) A director of each curriculum should be appointed to assist the principal in 
various ways. 

(2) Each group of closely related subjects should be organized into a department, 
and the teachers organized under a chairman for study of materials, methods, and 
special problems. 

(3) A specially trained and experienced adviser or dean of girls should be appointed; 
the principal can act in this capacity for boys. 

(4) Present methods of classifying pupils should be supplemented by the use of 
intelligence and other educational tests and measurements. 

(5) Present system of marking on basis of 100 per cent should be changed to system 
of 4 or 5 letters; or marks may be given only in multiples of 5. 

(6) A cafeteria under the supervision of the household arts department is needed. 

(7) The present noon intermission should be abolished, and time for lunch limited 
to two periods, one-half of the school being scheduled for each period. 

(8) A skilled teacher, who is also trained in library methods, should be assigned 
to each high school as librarian, responsible to the principal, to maintain and con- 
duct a branch library. 

(9) The industrial arts department should be more adequately housed. 

(10) The commercial department should be furnished additional equipment. 

(11) A well-trained record clerk should give full time to maintaining more com- 
plete system of records. 

(12) Definite steps should be taken to increase the high-school attendance. 

IN GENERAL. 

(1) A system of junior high schools, comprising grades 7,8, and 9, should be estab- 
lished. 

(2) A building program, looking toward buildings better adapted to the needs of 
secondary education, should be planned for a period of years. 

(3) A special study should be made of the needs of colored pupils, with a view to 
placing greater emphasis on vocational subjects. 

(4) The teaching schedules in a few cases are too heavy. 



44 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

VII. THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

Every teacher in the elementary schools was visited at least once, usually for a 
full lesson period; many teachers were visited more than once, and by more than one 
member of the staff. In preparation for these personal observations educational 
tests in handwriting, reading, arithmetic, spelling, and vocabulary, were given 
throughout the school system, so that definite, objective evidence was available to 
supplement the judgments of classroom teaching. In addition to these tests and 
observations, written lessons, notebooks, examination papers, and other written evi- 
dence of school work were collected and carefully studied. 

The report is very adverse. A few teachers are doing excellent work, but on the 
whole the community is not receiving fair returns for money expended on the ele- 
mentary schools. 

REORGANIZATION ON JUNIOR-HIGH- SCHOOL BASIS. 

The school system should be reorganized so as to provide public kindergartens: 
elementary schools of six years; at least three junior high schools, comprising grades 
7, 8, and 9; and a senior high school of three years. A modified form of departmental 
instruction should be adopted for grades 4, 5, and 6. 

A MODERN COURSE OF STUDY NEEDED. 

Responsibility for the present course of study, which is wholly unsatisfactory, rests 
directly on the administration, not on the teachers. 

No attempt has been made to draft a course of study adapted to conditions and 
needs in Wheeling, or reflecting current ideals in education. Many of the topics 
now required in arithmetic, grammar, and other subjects should be eliminated. 

There is no discoverable relationship between the various subjects of instruction, 
and in general the course is many years behind the best current practice. Civics, 
elementary science, and illustrative handwork are conspicuous by their absence. 
The course of study is uniform throughout the city, and no allowances are made 
for differing degrees of ability among children. 

The course of study should be entirely reorganized, and based upon the principle 
of meeting the needs and abilities of children at successive stages of development. 

The very formal type of work in handwriting, arithmetic, etc., in the first two 
grades should be eliminated, and for it should be substituted free play, oral language, 
nature study, modes of expression in the manual arts, and other activities based on 
the children's experiences. 

A specialist should be employed to work with the principals and teachers in the 
construction of a modern curriculum for the Wheeling schools. 

Too much attention is now given to formal spelling, grammar, and arithmetic; 
while too little or no attention is given to geography, history, literature, oral language, 
illustrative handwork, drawing and music for appreciation, elementary science, supple- 
mentary reading, civics, physical training, and play. 

TEACHERS GENERALLY UNPREPARED FOR SERVICE. 

Only 24 of the 174 teachers in the elementary schools meet reasonable standards 
of qualifications. Only 12 have had as much as one year of normal-school training 
after completing the high-school course. About three-fourths of the teachers have 
had practically nothing more than high-school education, or less. 

The average term of service in Wheeling is 14.3 years, while the total average ex- 
perience is 16.1 years, which is very much above the average. This degree of per- 



THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 45 

manency of tenure would be a commendable feature if the teachers were adequately 
trained ; as it is, the children of Wheeling do not have the advantage of teachers who 
have had good education and adequate professional training for their work. 

HIGHER STANDARDS OF TEACHING ESSENTIAL. 

The teachers in the Wheeling elementary schools need training first, and then 
inspired, intelligent guidance from principals and supervisors. 

No new teacher should be employed in the elementary schools who has not had a 
minimum of two years of professional training beyond graduation from a standard 
four-year high-school course. Teachers now in the system should be given a rea- 
sonable period, say, five years, in which to meet the new standards. To assist them, 
study classes for teachers should be organized, including possibly extension cours e 
from near-by educational institutions. 

Teachers should be required to continue professional growth and development, but 
endeavor along such lines should be recognized. They should be permitted to visit 
other schools at least one week each year. Equal salaries for equal ability, training, 
and experience should be paid throughout the system. The teaching staff should 
not be recruited entirely from Wheeling. 

LACK OF SUPERVISION. 

There is much confusion of authority in the present plan of supervision; in general, 
no one seems to know just how much authority he has or whence it comes. The 
superintendent attempts to visit each teacher five times each year, but visits possible 
on this plan must be short and perfunctory. Principals are expected to visit 30 
minutes each week in each teacher's room; but this is not regularly done, and such 
visits as are made are rarely followed by conferences. The time of principals is too 
largely taken up with routine office work, and they are handicapped by lack of clearly 
defined authority in their own buildings. Practically all of the principals are able 
school men and women, capable of wise exercise of supervisory authority. 

The special supervisors in physical training and drawing are in reality special 
teachers, and in some instances are able to secure very little cooperation from the 
classroom teachers. 

LINES OF AUTHORITY SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED. 

The present chaotic condition of the supervisory scheme in Wheeling calls for 
complete reorganization. 

The superintendent should deal with the classroom teachers through the principals 
and supervisors. The principal should be held responsible for the work of his school, 
and should be given full authority, under the superintendent, in the administration 
and supervision of his school. 

A special supervisor should be appointed for the primary grades. The supervisors 
of special subjects, as music, drawing, etc., should probably give more time to direct- 
ing and assisting the activities of teachers, teaching themselves only for demonstra- 
tion and when the regular teachers are not prepared. 

The relations between special supervisors and school principals must be carefully 
defined. Better cooperation is needed. 

A bureau of tests and measurements should be established as an aid to the super- 
visory and teaching force. 

STATUS OF THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. 

The chief function of the principal should be supervision of instruction, and he 
should be professionally trained for this important work. The principal should be 
assigned the duty of conducting teachers' meetings for the discussion of school prob- 



46 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 



lems; he should have authority to assign school duties to his teaching staff within 
prescribed limits; he should nominate teachers for confirmation by the superintendent. 

GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS FAULTY. 

The classification of pupils in the schools is faulty, as evidenced by the wide range 
in scores in the various tests, and by the presence of unduly large proportions of 
pupils who are too old for their grades. 

The system of promotions is unsatisfactory, in that a grade below 60 in a single 
subject sometimes forces a pupil to repeat the work of an entire semester. The plan 
of having coach teachers is to be commended, but as applied in Wheeling it is inef- 
fective and unsuccessful. 

A bureau of tests and measurements should be organized to secure the data upon 
which to base a modern scheme of classification, grading, and promotions, to the end 
that children of nearly equal ability and attainments may be placed together. De- 
fective and subnormal children should receive special attention. The coach teachers 
should be specialists, trained in methods of dealing with backward children. 



VIII. PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH SUPERVISION, HEALTH 

TEACHING. 



Public schools should educate for health, vigor, and sanity. The physical educa- 
tion, medical inspection (health supervision is a better term), and health teaching 
already established in the Wheeling schools are substantial elements of a program for 
promoting these objectives. The development of this program is hindered by inertia 
in the school system and in the public, by unsatisfactory school plants and, perhaps 
most important, by lack of coherent and effective administrative organization of the 
schools as a whole. 

HEALTH EDUCATION SHOULD COORDINATE MANY ACTIVITIES. 

1. Develop the beginnings that have been made in physical education, health super- 
vision, and health teaching into a consistent, complete, and coordinated program. 
Ultimately it may be desirable to combine these activities into a single adirrinistrative 
unit. For the present the physical education and the health supervision should be 
developed separately, but in logical and helpful coordination. Health teaching, of 
necessity, is a divided responsibility and must be developed in connection with physi- 
cal education, health supervision, and, in the higher grades and in the high school, 
with such subjects as home economics, biology, and civics. 

2. Develop the program of physical education along the lines already laid down, 
including coordination with community recreation. Make the director of physical 
education responsible to the superintendent of schools not only for the conduct of his 
department but also for the selection of his assistants. Appointments should be made 
only upon his initial recommendation, approved by the superintendent. Develop 
plans already initiated for preparing teachers in service to take adequate part in the 
physical education program. See that "classroom physical training" conforms to 
hygienic principles; such as, conducted only in well-ventilated rooms; exercises 
chiefly recreative; needs of individual pupils recognized. 

3. Provide a clean, well-lighted and well- ventilated exercise room and a minimum 
of 30 square feet per child of actual playground space for each school. Provide, fur- 
ther, a sufficient number of well-located district playgrounds, large enough to insure 
for the children and young people of each district such vigorous outdoor games as 



PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH TEACHING. 47 

soccer, baseball, and field and track sports. The new public-school athletic field 
provides for city- wide competitions and exhibitions, but is not a substitute for local 
district playgrounds. 

4. Provide for one full-time director of the department of medical inspection di- 
rectly responsible to the superintendent for the administration of this department. 
His duties should include the communicable disease work of the schools, health exam- 
ination of pupils, supervision of the nursing service, sanitary supervision of school 
plants, supervision of special classes for subnormal and handicapped children, promo- 
tion of hygienic school management, and, in general, supervision of all school 
conditions affecting the health and growth of pupils. The amount, variety, and 
thoroughness of work involved will require the full time of a competent man. 

Expand and improve the health examination procedure, provide complete exami- 
nation for all children entering school, all malnourished children, those suspected 
of tuberculosis or organic troubles, those engaging in competitive athletics. The 
examination should include the mental status of pupil and the nervous and emotional 
factors that condition health. 



ADEQUATE RECORDS ESSENTIAL TO EFFICIENT WORK. 

Improve the recording and the reporting. Make the records more effective as 
aids to follow-up work with individual children and as means of analyzing and evalu- 
ating the work performed. The periodic statistical reports as now made are of little 
value except for filing. Provide for an annual, analytical report showing scope of 
activities, achievements, obstacles in the way of achievement, and presenting recom- 
mendations for improvements. There should be periodic reports covering urgent 
matters. 

The school nurses are doing very valuable work. Their energies might be conserved, 
and even more effective work would be done, if the objectives of the nursing service 
were better defined, and if there were more systematic guidance and supervision of 
the nurses. The mutual responsibility of nurses, principals, and teachers should be 
more clearly defined. It is desirable ultimately that there should be a nurse in every 
school. 

The director of medical inspection, under definite regulations, should be responsible 
for the hygiene of school buildings. 

The respective duties and responsibilities of the medical inspector, nurses, principal, 
teachers, and janitors should be defined. The director should be required to report 
promptly and accurately upon urgent matters, and the board should lay upon itself 
the duty of acting promptly upon his recommendations. 

SUBNORMAL AND HANDICAPPED CHILDREN A SPECIAL PROBLEM. 

At present there is no provision for the special education of subnormal and handi- 
capped children, such as anemic and tubercular children, the speech defectives, the 
cripples, the deaf, the semiblind, and the mental subnormals. A careful survey should 
be made under the direction of the medical inspector to determine the number of 
children requiring special education. The nutrition classes should be increased to 
include malnourished children. * 

5. The experimental work of the nurses in health teaching should be encouraged and 
developed. The nutrition classes, both formal and informal, the health talks given 
by the nurses in connection with their periodic inspections, the inclusion of the weight 
record in the pupil's monthly report and other methods are stimulating interest in 
health and the practice of health habits by pupils. An effective program of health 
teaching may be developed through the leadership of the nurses. It must be recog- 
nized, however, that health teaching is not an exclusive function of the nurses. On 
the contrary, it is an essential part of the work of every teacher. Time should be pro- 
vided in the schedule, and all teachers should be prepared for this work. 



48 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL. 

6. The administrative responsibility of the principal of the high school should be 
clearly denned. There should be clear and specific regulations governing his respon- 
sibility to the superintendent, and his relationship with the director of physical 
education medical inspector, supervisor of nurses, and the director of home economics. 

The present plan for administration of physical education including athletics 
should be maintained and strengthened. 

The physical-training program in the high school, though correct in principle, 
should be modified on account of unfavorable physical facilities and the exigencies 
of the program. This is especially true with respect to the girls. If possible, 
reorganize the program so as to provide two double periods a week for each class 
instead of five single periods and place all physical-training classes in the two periods 
just prior to the noon recess and the two periods just prior to the close of school. The 
loss of the daily period of exercise would be compensated by the better observance of 
hygienic c«fcderations. 

Put into^Rct the recommendation of the director of physical education for the 
reconstruction for the boys' locker rooms, toilets, and shower baths. Study carefully 
the matter of providing better facilities for the girls. 

There is no prescribed health teaching for the boys. Some incidental instruction 
is given in connection with physical training. This should be developed and system- 
ized. For the girls, health instruction is involved in three required subjects — physical 
training, home economics, and home nursing. Health teaching in a high school is 
necessarily a divided responsibility. The special part to be played by each of these 
agencies should be worked out, and a coordinated program adopted. Furthermore, 
there should be some plan devised whereby the composite program may be carried out 
with mutual understanding and cooperation. 



IX. HOME ECONOMICS. 



Home economics instruction is well established in the white schools, and conditions 
are favorable for continued development. In accordance with best practice, special 
teachers are employed, special rooms and equipment are provided, and the supervisor 
has opportunity and authority for supervision; hence, a united and well-organized 
staff of teachers. 

WEAKNESSES IN PRESENT SCHEME. 

(1) The course of study is too narrow; insufficient attention given to problems of 
food and clothing in the home and relative to home budgets, home sanitation, personal 
accounting, social significance of the home and home making. 

(2) The course of study is uniform throughout the city, and hence no special con- 
sideration is given to varying home conditions, needs, and environment. 

(3) The time allotment in grades 5 to 8, inclusive, is inadequate. 

(4) The work suffers from the complete lack of handwork in the earlier grades. 

(5) Special attention should be given to home economics instruction for over-aged 
girls in grades below the sixth. 

(6) The course in home nursing as now given in ninth grade should be modified so 
as to emphasize conditions of health rather than of illness and disease, and amount 
of lecture work should be materially reduced. 

(7) Food work should be carried beyond individual quantities and recipes, and con- 
nected more vitally with home problems. 



HOME ECONOMICS. 49 

(8) Sewing problems should be more varied, interesting, and adapted to pupil and 
home needs. 

(9) Walking distances between schools and home economics centers are too great 
in some cases. 

(10) The equipment is not sufficiently varied. 

(11) Storage facilities for home economics materials and supplies are badly needed. 

(12) Rooms are needed for instruction in various phases of home management. 

(13) There is a singular absence of illustrative and reference material. 

(14) Laboratories are unattractive. 

(15) Teachers' schedules require much useless travel about the city. 

(16) School lunch rooms are badly needed, and should be under the supervision 
of the home economics department. 

(17) Home economics instruction has too little practical outcome in the lives and 
habits of the pupils. There should be an adviser of girls, cooperating closely with the 
home economics department. 

(18) Special provision should be made for children suffering noticej^fcj from mal- 
nutrition, ^r 

SPECIAL IMPORTANCE OF HOME ECONOMICS IN THE COLORED SCHOOL. 

Home economics in the colored school has many additional handicaps. The room 
in which it is taught is not suitable for the work ; the equipment is poor and inadequate ; 
the arrangement of equipment is inconvenient; the teaching force is insufficient, even 
though the pupil enrollment is small. 

Many Negro children are retarded; the student mortality is high; the occupations 
open to colored girls are limited almost entirely to household work of some kind, or to 
work in industries derived from household activities; hence, the home economics 
courses should be especially well organized, the equipment should be good and 
approach good home conditions, and the teaching vigorous. Additional time should 
be scheduled for home economics for colored girls. 

The present attempt to furnish hot lunches should be encouraged and special pro- 
vision made for serving hot food. 

Until such time as a new building is secured for the colored school, the home eco- 
nomics department should be moved into a portable building, which, probably, 
should be located above the present building. This portable building should be well 
equipped and supplied with modern household equipment, such as should be found 
in American homes. 



X. MANUAL TRAINING AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. 



The Wheeling schools are to be commended for the splendid work which is being 
done in manual training and vocational training within the limits thus far set us. 
Evidence of a praiseworthy professional spirit is found in the weekly meetings of the 
supervisor and the entire staff enrolled in an extension course of study and discussion 
under the auspices of the State university. 

THE NEXT STEPS FORWARD. 

(1) Among the improvements to be made probably the first should be to plan a 
scheme of handwork for all boys and girls, beginning with the lowest grade, and 
coordinated with the shopwork, drafting, and home economics of the upper elementary 
and high-school grades. 



50 EDUCATIONAL. SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

(2) The problems and projects now in use are in some cases not well adapted to the 
interests and capacities of the boys. 

(3) A splendid variety of shop experiences is available in the high-school building. 
Few cities in Wheeling's class offer more. Nevertheless, the shops are badly crowded. 
If the high-school attendance were as large as it should be these facilities would be 
wholly inadequate. 

(4) The adoption and carrying out of a junior high school program will make possible 
the establishing of additional centers offering equal variety to greatly increased num- 
bers of pupils. 

(5) The department already has the beginnings of equipment for additional shops 
(machine shop, printing), which can not be utilized until more space is available. 

(6) Provision should be made as soon as possible for a shop for automobile mechanics. 

PART-TIME CLASSES NEEDED. 

(7) As soon as facilities can be provided steps should be taken to establish a scheme 
of part-time classes for employed boys and girls. The preparation of plans and the 
immediate direction of this work may well require one-half or more of the time of one 
person. 

(8) A serious weakness in the present situation is the lack of clearly defined rela- 
tionships between this department and the school system as a whole, and between 
the special teachers and the school principals. This should all be cleared up in the 
general reorganization of the school system discussed elsewhere. 

(9) In general, the special teacher should be responsible to the principal in matters 
of discipline, program, disposition of pupils, use of building, etc., and responsible to 
the supervisor in matters of methods of instruction, content of course of study, etc. 
Cooperation, however, is what is needed. 

(10) One of the most difficult places to fill in the school system is that of the special 
shop teacher, which requires all the teaching ability and knowledge of child develop- 
ment that any other teaching position does, and in addition demands the mastery of 
at least the fundamentals of some technical field, as woodworking, printing, pottery, 
etc. The teaching staff in Wheeling compares favorably with that of other cities, 
but needs strengthening on the side of professional preparation and teaching skill. 
The study class, referred to above, if properly encouraged, should do more to improve 
conditions in this respect. 

(11) Provision should be made for more definite vocational guidance service for 
boys and girls who need it, and for sympathetically following up all boys and girls 
in their after-school careers, whether they graduate or not. 

CLOSER COORDINATION WITH REGULAR SCHOOL WORK NEEDED. 

(12) A more sympathetic attitude toward manual training and vocational work on 
the part of teachers and principals might result after a more careful consideration of 
the small proportion of children who complete the school work as now laid down, and 
who go on to high school and college, and the reasons therefor. 

(13) There is at present too little understanding of each other's work by both regular 
and special teachers and almost no vital connection. 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 51 

XI. ART EDUCATION. 



DEPARTMENTAL TEACHERS RECOMMENDED. 

(1) Change the present system of supervising the grade teacher to one of special 
teachers under the departmental system. One special teacher of art can take care 
of 16 grade rooms, allowing 2 lessons per week of 40 minutes each, and produce a more 
acceptable type of work than can be hoped for with supervision. 

(2) Employ an art teacher for the high school who would be responsible for the 
teaching in the departmentalized grade rooms, or — 

ALTERNATE PLAN POSSIBLE. 

. While keeping the present arrangement, make more effective supervision of art 
through: 

(1) The supervisor of art in the grades should supervise and not teach. 

(2) A printed schedule of the supervisor's visits should be sent in advance to each 
teacher and principal. 

(3) This schedule should be followed. 

(4) The lesson should be given on schedule time by the grade teacher without wait- 
ing for the supervisor. 

(5) Lessons completed since the supervisor's last visit should be ready for inspection. 

(6) The lesson should proceed in charge of the grade teacher, unless special help is 
needed. 

(7) A schedule of teachers' meetings should be published in September. 

(8) The supervisor of drawing should be informed as to the content of the other 
school subjects. 

(9) Keep a card index record of the talented pupils as they are discovered in the 
grades. 3 

(10) Raise the standard of the grade teacher: 

(a) Employ only such teachers as have had during the normal-school course train- 
ing in art and art teaching. 

(6) Ask that a certain number of teachers now in service take summer-school work 
in art and the methods of teaching art. 

(c) Require attendance at teachers' meetings conducted by the supervisor. 

(11) Employ a teacher of art for the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades and high 
school. 

(12) Employ a supervisor of industrial arts for the first five grades. 

FINE ARTS COURSES FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL. 

(1) Introduce the course in the ninth grade. 

(2) Make provision for at least three different courses of art in the high school: 

(a) General course (one or two years): Art appreciation and history. Minimum 
amount of studio practice work in color, design, crafts, art photography, picture study, 
and history of art. For girls, the work in design should be applied to the home and the 
person; for boys, it should connect with the manual training and pottery departments. 

(6) Elementary drawing: Drawing in pencil and charcoal from objects. Letter- 
ing — this course should attract the students who will enter the normal schools and 
the teaching profession. 

s This system of studying the progress of students of unusual ability has recently been put in force in 
the Pittsburgh public schools by Mr. James C. Boudreau, supervisor of art. 



52 EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 

(c) Advanced drawing: Charcoal, poster design, illustration, title-pages, headings 
for the school publications. This course for future art students only. 

The first year that an art course is offered it may be well to begin with the general 
course, which should, because of its scope, attract all students interested in the subject. 

A CIRCULAR OF INFORMATION WOULD BE HELPFUL. 

(1) A printed course of study in art education should be prepared, containing 
information as to: 

(a) Psychology of the subject. 

(b) Scope and aims in public school system: Appreciation, expression. 

(c) Standards of attainments. 

(d) Methods of presentation. 

(e) References to standard texts. 
(/) Supplies and materials. 

(2) Copies of these outlines should be furnished to each principal, as well as to 
each teacher. 

(3) Illustrated charts showing the progressive steps of type lessons should be placed 
in some building or room centrally located in the city for the use of the grade teachers. 

INFLUENCE OF THE ART DEPARTMENT ON BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. 

(1) Employ expert advice on the subject of interior and exterior decoration: 

(a) The selecting of color for the walls of the rooms, halls, and corridors, with 
special attention to light and durability as well as color. 

(b) Place in each classroom bulletins or display boards to be used in exhibiting 
class work in penmanship, writing, arithmetic, drawing, etc. Through teachers' 
and principals' meetings, formulate definite rules consistent with good design to 
govern the use of such boards, and thus prevent a haphazard pinning of papers and 
pictures to any available woodwork. 

(c) Supply each classroom with a few pictures appropriate to the grade and age 
of the pupils, and eliminate such pictures as are too small to be easily seen by the 
majority of the class. The principal of the building, the supervisor of art, and the 
grade teachers should work in harmony to secure the best for the building, and work 
out a scheme for decorating the corridors with the classroom work of exceptional 
pupils. 

(d) Supply aisle boards for the display of groups of objects for drawing. 

(e) Children in the grades should be supplied from the school funds with water-color 
boxes and brushes. 

(2) Place in each building a small library of books on art and on art education. 

ART EDUCATION AND THE COMMUNITY. 

(1) Secure exhibitions of original examples of fine and industrial arts work and 
arrange for classes to make special trips to the exhibitions under the guidance of the 
grade teachers. 

(2) Pictures of examples of architecture, sculpture, and paintings now in Wheeling 
should be made available for study. 

(3) Cooperation of the teachers in the grades of bench work, pottery, domestic 
science, principals of the schools, and the librarian should be sought to perfect a more 
solid school organization. 



EDUCATIONAL SURVEY OF WHEELING, W. VA. 53 

XH. TANGIBLE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY. 



At least two definite actions of the board of education, growing out of consideration 
of the recommendations of the survey report, may be recorded : 

REORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. 

At a meeting of the board held March 29, 1921, a series of resolutions proposing 
amendments to the legislation under which the Wheeling public schools are now 
operating were adopted, in accordance with which the number of members would 
be reduced from 21 to 5, effective in June, 1923, the earliest possible legislative date 
at which the changes can be made. 

On March 30, 1921, the president of the board of education wrote to the Bureau of 
Education, as follows : 

After a series of meetings and conferences the board finally passed the amendments 
to the bill prepared by the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, and chamber of commerce, 
which provide for the election of five commissioners at large at the city election of 
1923, the term to be six years. At the first election two will be elected for six years, 
two for four years, and one for two years, and the election is to be nonpartisan and 
candidates arranged in alphabetical order. The other provision is that the superin- 
tendent shall appoint all principals, teachers, and other employees of the board, 
subject to confirmation by the board. 

At a meeting of the joint committee of the above organizations held yesterday 
these changes were approved unanimously by the members present, so that the bill 
as now amended goes to the legislature without contention. 

QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS. 

On Friday evening, July 22, 1921, the board of education adopted the following 
resolutions: 

In order to carry into effect the recommendation of the survey commission with 
respect to raising the standards of qualifications of the teaching staff, the board of 
education of the school district of Wheeling hereby adopts the following resolutions: 

Resolved, (1) That hereafter all principals, supervisors, directors, teachers, libra- 
rians, nurses, clerks, janitors, and other employees (except the clerk of the board) 
shall be employed, promoted, demoted, transferred, retired, or dismissed, exclusively 
upon the written recommendation of the superintendent of schools, subject to the 
approval of the board. 

(2) That after July 1, 1921, no new teacher or supervisor shall be employed for 
service in the high schools who is not a graduate of an accredited four-year college or 
university course, except that teachers or supervisors in special technical subjects 
may offer successful experience in the vocations related to such subjects in lieu of two 
years of such college or university course, provided two years of approved professional 
training beyond high-school graduation be offered. 

(3) That after July 1 , 1921 , no new teacher or supervisor shall be employed for service 
in the elementary schools who is not a graduate of an approved normal school or 
teachers' college course consisting of two years' work beyond graduation from a 
standard high school, or, in the case of special trade subjects, who has not had the 
equivalent of two years of professional preparation for teaching or supervising the 
subject in question. 

(4) That after July 1, 1921, to be eligible for a new appointment as principal of a 
school a candidate should meet the minimum requirements herein set forth, and in 
addition should have had not less than five years' successful experience in teaching, 
and have completed an approved course of professional preparation in school adminis- 
tration and supervision. 

(5) That in the cases of all principals, teachers, and supervisors who were employed 
in the Wheeling public schools during the year ended June, 1921, and reappointed 
for the ensuing year, the application of the minimum requirements as herein set 
forth be waived until September 1, 1927; and that the superintendent be directed to 
report on the professional qualifications of all principals, teachers, and supervisors at 
the regular meeting of the board in September of each year. 

(6) That after July 1, 1925, no person shall be employed for substitute service who 
does not meet with the minimum qualifications of regular teachers as set forth in this 
resolution. 

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